A Discourse on the Malukyaputta Sutta

A Discourse on theMlukyapua Sua

byThe Venerable Mahsi Saydaw

ofBurma

Translated byU Htin Fatt

Buddha Ssannuggaha OrganizationMahsi Translation Committee, Rangoon

A Discourse on theMlukyaputta Sutta

by

Venerable Mahsi Saydaw

Translated by U Htin Fatt

First printed and published in the SocialistRepublic of the Union of Burma

September 1981

New EditionEdited by

Bhikkhu PesalaPublished for free distribution byAssociation for Insight Meditation

August 2013

Editors ForewordA number of lectures by the late Venerable Mahsi Saydaw have been

anslated into English for the benet of a wider audience. This book wasreprinted in Malaysia, but this new edition has been completely revised fordisibution in the UK.

The Venerable Saydaws discourses were addressed to meditatorspractising intensively at Mahsi Ssana Yeikth, in Rangoon. They thereforecontain many Pi words which, though familiar to those who have heardregular discourses, may not be so familiar to others. I have prepared thisedition of the Mlukyapua Sua bearing in mind that it will be read bymany who may be unfamiliar with Pi terms. However, because parts ofthis discourse deal with the exemely subtle thought process (cia vthi),some Pi technical terms used to explain the higher Buddhist philosophy(Abhidhamma) have been retained. The Pi stanzas have also been retainedfor the enjoyment of those who do know some Pi.

Because this Mlukyapua Sua deals with the exemely rapid mentalevents occurring when seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, andthinking, it is possible that non-meditators may not understand it. The bestsolution for those inexperienced in meditation would be to take up the practiceof systematically noting all mental events at the six sense doors. If they practisemeditation seriously for several days without a break, they will soonexperience at least the momentary bliss of tadaga nibbna, as mentioned bythe Venerable Saydaw in this most excellent discourse. If they are verydiligent, they might aain some insight knowledge, which would signicantlyimprove the quali of their life, and ensure happiness in the future.

This edition has been edited again, and reformaed for A5 paper size andwith a larger font. Some more footnotes and numerous hyperlinks wereadded for the convenience of looking up cross-references if reading it in aPDF viewer. Links will open in your default Internet browser.

To print out a hard copy, use the booklet printing option in your PDFviewer.

Bhikkhu PesalaAugust 2013

vContents

Editors Foreword..................................................................................ivInoduction.................................................................................................1

Vigilant....................................................................................................1Senuous ...............................................................................................2Four Right Exertions...............................................................................2With Single Purpose................................................................................2The Buddhas Admonition......................................................................3

Sights Not Seen Before.................................................................................3The Story of Anihigandha Kumra.......................................................4Mlukyapuas Answer..........................................................................5The Seam of Eye-consciousness............................................................7The Seam of Ear-consciousness.............................................................8Seeing Absact Reali............................................................................9From Eye-door to Mind-door.................................................................9The Birth of Conceptual Knowledge.....................................................10Pohila Thera........................................................................................11Seize the Right Moment........................................................................11Answering a Critic.................................................................................12Meditating on Hearing, etc...................................................................14The Benets of Insight Knowledge.......................................................15Inclination to Nibbna..........................................................................16A Summary of the Mlukyapua Sua................................................17Failure to Meditate on Form While Seeing...........................................18Meditating on Form Brings Nibbna Near...........................................19

Sounds Not Heard Before..........................................................................21Concept and Reali..............................................................................22Failure to Meditate on Sound While Hearing.......................................23The Story of Nanda................................................................................23Meditating on Sound Brings Nibbna Near.........................................25

Odours Not Smelled Before.......................................................................25Failure to Meditate on Odour While Smelling.....................................25Meditating on Odour Brings Nibbna Near.........................................26

vi Contents

Flavours Not Tasted Before........................................................................27Failure to Meditate on Flavour While Tasting......................................27Meditating on Flavour Brings Nibbna Near.......................................29Realisation of the Dhamma...................................................................30

Touches Not Touched Before......................................................................31Why Mindfulness of Respiration is Not Taught....................................32Meditation on Abdominal Movements................................................33Failure to Meditate on Contact While Touching...................................34Meditating on Contact Brings Nibbna Near.......................................35Negation of the Correct Method...........................................................36

Ideas Not Thought of Before......................................................................37Failure to Meditate on Mind Objects While Knowing..........................37Meditating on Mind Objects Brings Nibbna Near..............................38Teaching Given to Bhiya Drucriya....................................................39

1

A Discourse on theMlukyapua Sua

InoductionThe Mlukyapua Sua gives us the fundamental knowledge about the

principles of insight meditation (vipassan). It is found in the Sayuanikyaof the Sua Piaka, and the twen verses it contains can also be found in theVsatinipta of the Theragth. It was given by the Buddha to BhikkhuMlukyapua, at his request. He was the son of a female devotee by thename of Mluky, or Mluky according to the Sri Lankan edition of thetexts. His request to the Buddha was as follows:

Sdhu me bhante bhagav sakhiena dhamma desetu, yamahabhagavato dhamma sutv eko vpakaho appamao tp pahitaovihareyyanti.

Venerable sir, it would be good if you would teach me theDhamma in brief. Having heard the essence of Dhamma, I willpractise it in solitude, abiding vigilant, senuous, and withsingle purpose.

In eect, Mlukyapua was asking the Buddha to prescribe a subject ofmeditation, which he wanted to practise in the right way at a quiet place.Solitude is essential for meditation, as it is an aid to concenation, whichmay be disturbed if one lives with others. However, if one cannot get it, oneshould mind ones own business while others mind theirs. In such circum-stances one should not speak, nor even look at others to see what they aredoing, focusing ones mind fully on the Dhamma.

VigilantThe word appamao in the text means vigilant. This is also vital. In this

meditation cene, the meditators are usually vigilant, never forgeing thatthey are siving for the realisation of the Dhamma. When they see an object,they note it with vigilance. When they hear, smell, taste, touch, or think, theyare mindful of hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or thinking. The slightestaction or movement does not go unnoticed or unobserved. They keep theirminds alert, never allowing heedlessness to get the beer of them.

2 A Discourse on the Mlukyapua Sua

SenuousThe text also uses the word tp the root of which means to heat up. When

one is enthusiastic, tp may be said to be at work. Heat causes the evaporationof moisture. Enthusiasm causes the evaporation of all mental delements(kiles), as ies do not hover around a piece of red-hot iron. When enthusiasmis weak, delements gain eny into the heart via the six sense-doors andtorment ordinary people who fail to note the arising and passing away of allconditioned things. Delements nd no foothold in the mind of a vigilantmeditator. In the texts, a deled mind is compared to a wet, sappy stick. Whenmeditation is practised with the utmost zeal and enthusiasm, delementsevaporate om ones mind, leaving it absolutely dry and pure.

Four Right ExertionsThere are four kinds of right exertion (sammappadhna):1. Exertion to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states. This

preventative action is comparable to a health education campaign, whichhelps to ward o contagious diseases. As you are sure to encounter evil inyour daily life, you must be wary of it, and take care to avoid contamination.

2. Second is the exertion to remove the unwholesome states that havearisen, and prevent them om recurring. We must sive to give up theinclination towards unwholesome things that we are predisposed to,otherwise they will overpower us eventually. Seeing, hearing, etc., stimulatethe latent predispositions, which are the root causes of delements. Suchlatent tendencies, which are stimulated by sense-objects, are called

rammaanusaya kiles. When the meditator gains the path, all latenttendencies cease completely.

3. Third is the exertion to cultivate wholesome actions that have not yetarisen. Wholesome kamma should be acquired through the practice of chari,morali, and mental culture. I urge you especially to practise insightmeditation if you have not done so yet. If you are doing it now to aaininsight, continue until the path is aained.

4. Lastly is the exertion to develop arisen wholesome actions until thepath is gained. A meditator normally acquires all four of these right exertionsin the course of practice.

With Single PurposePahitao is usually rendered as with a mind dispatched to nibbna.

Taking it literally, some postulate that there is no need to practise meditation

Sights Not Seen Before 3

once one has dispatched the mind towards nibbna. This is conary to theteaching in the texts. What the word means is that one should exert in thepractice regardless of life and limb, xing ones mind rmly on aaining thepath, its uition, and nibbna. This agrees with the commentary on theSlakkhandha Sua, which deals with the subject of mental culture.

The Buddhas AdmonitionThe Buddha replied to Mlukyapua as follows:

Then what shall I say to other bhikkhus when you are makingsuch a request? You are old, having reached the laer part ofyour life. Even so you ask for just the gist of the Dhamma omme.

These words of the Buddha can be taken as both reproach and approval.The old monk had not siven for the Dhamma while young. Only when healready had one foot in the grave did he speak of abiding in the Dhamma.Taken in that light, Buddhas admonition might be a reproach. However,Mlukyapua was determined to live the life of a recluse in spite of hisadvanced years. What would young bhikkhus say to this? They shouldcertainly want to emulate him. In this context it may be interpreted that theBuddha was full of praise for him. If youngsters see old people siving hardfor the realisation of the Dhamma, they should y to follow suit.

Since Mlukyapua repeated his request, the Blessed One taught him thefundamentals of insight meditation by posing a series of questions to revealthe method of insight.

Sights Not Seen BeforeWhat do you think, Mlukyapua? There are certain visibleobjects that you have never seen before, do not see now, norhope to see in the future. Could such objects arouse desire, lust,or aection in you?

The visible objects or form (rpa) that one can see with ones eyes are areali, but there may be other unreal objects that appear in ones imaginationor dreams. These are called conceptual images. The text refers to objects inthe distant past, which means objects om the past existence that areremembered in the present. In the Buddhas time there was a woman by thename of Patipjaka who could recall her past existence in which her husband


was a deva called Mlbri. She kept remembering him in her presentexistence. It was with reference to individuals like her that the remote pastis mentioned in the text.

It is understandable that one can develop aachment to things dreamt ofor imagined, but no aachment could arise in relation to objects that onecannot even imagine. No man could fall in love with a woman he has nevermet or imagined meeting, and no women could love a man she has neverseen or imagined, either.

Mlukyapua replied, No desire, lust, or aection could arise in me forthings that I have never seen before, do not see now, nor hope to see in thefuture.

The Story of Anihigandha KumraThe Dhammapada Commentary relates the story of Anihigandha

Kumra in whom love developed for the kind of feminine beau that hehad imagined. This illusates that if one can visualize an image in onesdreams or thoughts, then desire, lust, and aection can develop. The storyis as follows:

Anihigandha Kumra was born in Svahi. He was a Brahm in hisprevious existence. While in the Brahm plane he was naturally ee omthe shackles of sensual desire and lust. When reborn as a human being, hehad no interest in the opposite sex. When he came of age his parents urgedhim to marry, but he refused. As his parents were insistent he devised a planby which he hoped to evade marriage. He enlisted the services of sculptorsto make a gold image of a beautiful girl, and told his parents that he wouldmarry anyone who looked like this gold image. The parents, being wealthyand capable, hired the services of brahmins to search the land for a bridewhose beau equalled that of the image that their son had conceptualisedin the gold image.

When the brahmins reached Sgala in the Madda kingdom they heard talkof a beautiful sixteen year old girl who was kept secluded in a seven-storeyedtower. Having aced her, they persuaded her parents to allow them to assessher beau. When she was brought to meet them they found that she waseven more beautiful than the statue.

They then negotiated with the parents for the girl to be given in marriageto Anihigandha Kumra. Gaining their consent, they informed the parentsof the bridegroom. On hearing that the bride was even more beautiful thanthe gurine he had had sculpted, the bridegroom was anxious to have her

Mlukyapuas Answer 5

brought as soon as possible. This is an instance of aachment that can arisepurely out of ones imagination.

Sgala and Svahi are more than ve hundred miles apart, and in thosedays ansportation was primitive. Perhaps she was brought in a horse-drawncarriage. She became uerly exhausted during the journey, fell ill, and died.

When Anihigandha Kumra heard this news, he became gravelydisessed for having missed the chance even to catch a glimpse of her. Hecould not eat or sleep. Knowing about this, the Buddha took pi on him,and so came to his house for alms. The parents respectfully oered alms tothe Buddha and brought their son to meet him. Then the Buddha preachedthe following verse:

Kmato jyat soko, kmato jyat bhaya;Kmatovippamuassa, nahi soko kuto bhaya.

From lust springs grief, om lust springs fear;One ee om lust, has no grief, whence fear? (Dhp v 215)

Having heard this verse the young man aained seam-winning.Previously he had been disinterested in women, and thought he had set hisparents an impossible task. When the impossible came ue with the discoveryof a maiden more beautiful than his wildest dreams, aachment arose totorment his innocent mind.

Mlukyapuas AnswerMlukyapua replied to the eect that no desire, lust, or aection could

arise for sense-objects that one had never experienced, or even imagine. Themeditators in this cene understand this, but others who have no experiencein meditation may be puzzled. In 1951 I preached the Mlukyapua Suain Thaddhamma Thitagu Yeikth in Bassein, when the Thaddhamma ThitaguSaydaws sister was among the audience. She confessed that she becameconfused when I mentioned the visible object that one had never seen orimagined. She wondered what sort of form that might be. She was intelligent,but her mind was unreceptive before she had practised insight meditation.Aer she had, she became convinced of the uth of the Dhamma. She wasso pleased with the discourse that she disseminated the knowledge shegained om what had been preached, to other devotees.

Every thoughtful person can accept that unseen objects cannot incite lust.Is it possible to conceive aection for an individual you have never met


before? Not only aection, but haed also cannot arise. Neither can delusion,nor wrong view. I have composed the following aphorism to aid your memory:

1. Where visible objects remain unseen, delements cease automatically.2. Where visible objects are seen, delements lie in wait.3. Note with mindfulness whatever is seen, and dispel delements that

lurk in the mind.4. The question posed by the Buddha for Mlukyapua forms the exercise

for insight meditation.

It should now be clear that objects that one has never encountered cannotarouse the delements of desire, lust, or aection. From this we can inferthat delements arise (only) om objects seen or known. The Buddhaintended to draw Mlukyapuas aention to this fact by puing the questionin that way, but he also wanted him to realise that delements continue toarise whenever a sense-object is recalled. Having seen someone smiling orscowling, you may remember it. Every time that you do, the smiling orscowling face reappears. Each time your mind reacts to the mental impressionthat it creates. Similarly, when you recall things you have seen that incitelust, you become lustful. Anger and delusion are aroused in the same way.If you fail to note at each moment of seeing you tend to be unmindful of theimpermanence and insubstantiali of conditioned things, then delementsinvade your heart and remain. If you note every moment of seeing diligently,you will realise that it arises just to disappear. When its ue nature ofimpermanence is known, it can no longer torment you.

So whenever you look at anything, note what you see, mindful of itsimpermanence, giving no chance for delements to develop. Delementsdo not reside in you, but lie in wait for a chance to possess your mind. If youare mindful when noting the phenomenon of seeing, you will realise itsansience, and it will subside. Your mind will then remain unperturbed, asif you had not perceived the object. This understanding will help you topractise insight meditation. That is why I say that the Buddhas questionreveals the exercise for insight meditation. Later you will hear more aboutthe Buddhas questions regarding sounds and the ear. Meanwhile I will givea brief account of the insight meditation exercises as insucted by the Buddha.

Eha ca te Mlukyapua diha suta muta vitesu dhammesu dihedihamaa bhavissati, sute sutamaa bhavissati, mute muta-maa bhavissati, vite vitamaa bhavissati.

The Seam of Eye-consciousness 7

Mlukyapua! As phenomena are seen, heard, thought of, orknown, just let them be as they are seen, heard, thought of, orknown at that moment. When you see, you just see it; when youhear, you just hear it; when you think, you just think it; andwhen you know, you just know it.

Here it shows that delements are denied any opportuni to arise whensense-objects cannot gain eny beyond the six sense-doors. The questionthen arises as to how to exert in repelling delements when sense-objects doappear at the six sense-doors. Therefore the Buddha lays down the gist ofthe task of insight meditation in relation to the four modes of seeing, hearing,thinking, and knowing. Here we should note that the senses of smell, taste,and touch are included in the category of thought (muta) for the sake ofbrevi. Meditation on the three characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfac-toriness, and not-self cenes on these four modes of seeing, hearing, thinking,and knowing. These senses and sense-objects are not I, Mine, or Myself. The objects just appear for a moment at the sense-doors and themeditator just sees or hears them for that moment, and nothing more. Thisis the essence of the insight meditation method.

The Seam of Eye-consciousnessSeeing means contact between the visible object and the eye-base, which

causes eye-consciousness (cakkhuvia). This is usually rendered in plainBurmese as myin-thi seeing-knowing, suggesting perception by the eye.Let me begin by explaining the sequence of a thought-process that operateswhen a visible object presents itself to the eye-base through the eye-door.Several thought moments occur in sequence during each thought-process.First, when the eye-base receives the image of the visible object, life-continuum consciousness (bhavaga) wakes up and initiates the process ofseeing in three thought-moments. This excites eye-door-adverting conscious-ness (cakkhudvrvajjana), which turns towards the visible object. The imagethat falls on the eye-base is cognised by eye-consciousness (cakkhuvia),which at rst remains unperturbed by delements. It is followed immediatelyby receiving consciousness (sampaicchana), which receives or accepts theimage. Aer that investigation (santraa) takes over and investigates theobject, so that determining (vohapana) can decide who is who, and what iswhat. Until now, latent delement, which has been lying in wait for theopportuni to rear its head, has been unable to operate, but as soon asdetermining consciousness has decided that the object is agreeable or


disagreeable, liking or disliking develop when the process of impulsion(javana) is brought into play. Impulsion normally runs its full course of seventhought-moments. At this stage action can be adjudged as moral or immoral,and delements of greed, anger, or delusion now shows their ue colours.Finally the two thought moments of registering (tadrammaa) occur. Thisis a description of the thought-process of the mind on seeing an object. It iscalled vthi, the path or course that consciousness takes in establishing itself.

The Seam of Ear-consciousnessThe seam of consciousness that ows when hearing, tasting, smelling,

touching, or thinking is the same as that already explained regardingeye-consciousness, but I shall repeat the whole process to reiterate.

Bhavaga is a state of mind that works during sound sleep. (The closestEnglish equivalent is life continuum, for it is an essential condition forcontinued existence). It does not turn itself towards sense-objects contactedin the present existence, but only towards a sense-object to which one wasaached at the moment of death in the preceding existence. It is adjacent torelinking consciousness (paisandhi cia) of the present existence, which is therst moment of consciousness to arise at conception. It is assumed to be arisingcontinuously, but, being passive, it subsides whenever thought moments ofother varieties of consciousness emerge. For instance, when a sense-objectenters the seam of consciousness through one of the six sense-doors, bhavagais arrested to make room for sense-door consciousness (dvrvajjana), whichat once takes up the function of reecting on the nature of the impressionmade by the sense-object that enters the sense-door. The eye-consciousness,or ear-consciousness, etc., occurs to be followed by receiving (sampaicchana)and investigating (santraa). The result of this investigation is determining(vohapana), which decides who is who, or what is what. Aer this, impulsion(javana) vibrates for seven moments in an eort to deliver, as it were, thereport of the decision to registering consciousness (tadrammaa), whichvibrates for two thought moments (when the thought process runs its fullcycle). This subsides into bhavaga, which is compared to falling asleep.

When determining decides that an object is worthy of aection and love,immoral actions like lust and greed are aroused as desire for the object. Thisis the working of unwholesome impulsions. However, this is not always thecase. Sometimes the object may be judged repugnant, but the subject maybe inclined to do wholesome deeds to avoid the consequences of unpleasur-able experiences. At other times a beautiful object may be viewed with

From Eye-door to Mind-door 9

compassion and benevolence when moral thoughts are brought into play.In such cases the impulsions are moral. It may be noted that there are fourteenthought moments om adverting to registering. If the sense-object makes aweak impression, the process of impulsion may end aer only ve or sixmoments, though it normally runs for seven.

When seeing occurs, just see it: dont do anything more. As the text says,On seeing, let seeing be. The working of the thought process on hearing ortasting is the same as that of seeing. So when hearing occurs, just hear it. Onhearing, let hearing be: do nothing more. This accords with the text: Sutesutamaa bhavissati. You will hear more about this later, but now I willdeal with the absact knowledge to be gained om noting visible objects.

Seeing Absact RealiWhen the thought moments of eye-consciousness, eye-door adverting,

receiving, investigating, determining, impulsion, and registering have allplayed their part in the process of seeing, the absact reali of the form andshape of the sense-object (or sense impression) become manifest. Until nowthe subject who sees has not paid aention to concepts like masculini orfeminini. At this point, unwholesome impulsion may perhaps occur, but asit is weak it is unable to produce a song reaction, so any result of unwhole-some impulsion will not be too bad. Therefore, at this initial stage when thereaction has not yet gathered momentum, you can note the object just as yousee it. Next you will experience the absact reali of both the subject that seesas well as the object that is seen. The subject is, of course, mind (nma) andthe object is maer (rpa). So you have now come face to face with nmarpaas ultimate realities (paramaha). Still, you have not considered whether theobject you are looking at is a man or a woman, which means you have notyet gained conceptual knowledge of the object seen. So at this stage, althoughyou see something, you can leave it as it is, as you have not started thinking.This agrees with the statement, When you see, just see it.

From Eye-door to Mind-doorIt is no easy maer to stop short at just seeing. A beginner will not be able

to catch the thought moments that make up the process of seeing. Beingunable to stay with the phenomenon instantaneously as it arises, he or shehas to consider the object appearing in the minds eye as if really wanting toknow it. Whatever passes through the mind-door usually needs to beidentied, but the beginner nds it dicult to adjust eye-consciousness to


the object seen in his eorts to identi it, so has to rely on mind-consciousnessto do some thinking regarding the visible object. The thought process relatingto mind-consciousness is as follows.

First mind-door adverting arises, prompting seven thought moments ofimpulsion that report the ndings to two moments of registering. Thus thereare ten thought moments in this part of the process. However, if thesense-object creates only a weak impression, impulsion vibrates for less thanseven moments, and mind consciousness may be cut o aer only ve orsix impulsions. When eye-consciousness has done its job, mind-consciousnesstakes over, but it is still unable to distinguish the visible object as male orfemale. At this stage knowledge is still at the stage of ultimate realities(paramaha), as with the preceding eye-consciousness.

However, note one dierence here: whereas eye-consciousness cognisesthe visible object of the present moment, mind-consciousness cognises it asit recedes into the past. Mind-consciousness has to recall the past image aspreviously seen by eye-consciousness. Even so, the image is still an ultimatereali. It is, therefore, exemely dicult for the beginner to note the visibleobject as it passes to the rst thought process of mind consciousness.

The Birth of Conceptual KnowledgeFailure to note the object with mindfulness as it enters the mind door at

the rst moment of mind-consciousness, prompts the arising of the secondthought process. At this stage conceptual knowledge (paai) regarding theshape or form of the visible object begins to emerge, and it becomes rmlyestablished at the third thought process. The subject is now able to distinguishthe visible object as male or female. This clear cognition relates to both formand name, so concepts of name and form are conceived. This concept comesnaturally in rapid succession during the second and third thought processes,but it is a concept gained through ignorance (avijj), which conceals the uenature of the object. The commentaries say that ignorance has the tendencyto hide. The basic exercise in mindfulness exhorts a meditator to observe andnote every time he or she comes face to face with the realities, before ignorancecreates the concept. At rst, however, the meditator will nd it dicult toapprehend the reali because mindfulness, concenation, and wisdom arenot yet song enough. When these qualities become rmly established, themeditator will be able to realise the ue nature of things even at the lapse ofthe rst thought process of eye-consciousness. When the meditator hasaained knowledge of dissolution (bhaga-a) and knowledge of equanimi

Seize the Right Moment 11

with regard to formations (sakhrupekkh-a), he or she will nd that it isnot imperative for the seam of mind-consciousness to ow up to impulsion,and that aer two or three moments of determining, he or she can realiseinsight relating to the sixfold equanimi towards all the senses of seeing,hearing, etc. This has been explained in the commentary on the Mla Pasa;for more details please refer to my discourse on insight practice.

Pohila TheraAt the time of the Buddha there was an elder named Pohila who was

learned in the Tipiaka, but he neglected the practice of meditation. TheBuddha chided him as Tuccha Pohila vain and useless Pohila. Realisinghis shortcomings in the eld of meditation, the elder visited a monasterywhere thir Arahants lived in a forest and requested them to prescribe ameditation exercise for him. The senior Arahant knew about his pride oflearning and refused to advise him, directing him to approach another monk.The other monks all did the same, until at last only a seven-year old novice,who was also an Arahant, remained. The novice said that he was inexperi-enced, but Pohila insisted so the novice gave him this insuction:

Venerable sir. There are six openings in a mound, which an iguana makeshis home. If you want to catch the iguana, close up the ve exits om themound, and wait for it to come out om the last exit. There are six doorsthrough which sense-objects can enter. If you close ve of them, and keepwatch at the mind-door, your task will be accomplished.

What the young Arahant advised was for Pohila not to allow impulsionto hang on to any of the ve sense-doors, but to shut them all, and note onlythe mind-door so that impulsion could lead him on to insight. This gave thelearned monk a clue to the method of insight practice. When one sees, onemust stop at the thought moment of determining and note all phenomenawith mindfulness. It is the same as saying, When you see, you just see it.Having practised meditation as suggested, Pohila aained Arahantship.

Seize the Right MomentYou must seize the rst critical moment when sense-door consciousness

rst arises. If you fail to do so, you will be deluded by conceptual knowledge.If you fail to note seeing as it happens, you are dwelling in the conceptualrealm. For ease of understanding, let me summarize the four stages of theprocess that I have explained.

1. First, adverting reects as the object enters the mind door.


2. That moment of reection constitutes the rst thought process, whichies to gain cognition through consciousness.

3. Then concept is formed in the next thought process.4. Finally the nature of the object is known by its name or concept.

Mind and maer in the ultimate sense can been known through medita-tion on the nature of phenomena as soon as they arise. If one knows instantlywhat is actually happening one gains insight into the three characteristics ofimpermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and not-self. The following four pointsshould also be noted.

1. Seize the rst moment in the act of seeing.2. Arrest the ow of consciousness at the rst thought process (to conform

to the exhortation: dihe dihamaa bhavissati.)3. Dierentiate mind and maer, noting that they are distinct phenomena.4. Recognise the three characteristics.

As the development of insight gathers momentum, mind will be distin-guished om maer, and dissolution will become clearly manifest. Asknowledge of dissolution (bhaga-a) gets sharper, the mind is able toappreciate that both the object seen and the seeing pass away at a emendouspace. A meditator who contemplates dissolution may feel that mind-conscious-ness is uering as it dissolves into nothingness. The impression is so hazythat he or she might think that something is wrong with his or her eyesight.Having gained experience of dissolution, the meditator will benet omdirect knowledge of impermanence. This will lead to the revelation that whatis not permanent is unsatisfactory and insubstantial, as one has virtually noconol over mind and maer. They just occur, which is their ininsic nature.

If we are mindful of the phenomena of seeing, hearing, etc., according tothe Buddhas insuctions, we may realise that they just occur, and thatnothing can be done about it. The meditator need not go beyond seeing orhearing to examine what the object is, whether it is male or female, forexample. The mind does not dwell on concepts, but stays with the ultimaterealities (paramaha).

Answering a CriticAmong those who are not experienced in meditation are some who doubt

the suitabili of noting phenomena. Some of them even suggest that themethod of contemplation is wrong. While I was at Chauk, a man approachedme with the criticism that eye-consciousness fails to recognise the genesis

Answering a Critic 13

(upda) and dissolution (bhaga) on the arising and passing away of mindand maer. It can recognise only the visible object that enters the eye-door,it cannot appreciate how the object is behaving. His criticism was along thefollowing lines, As eye-consciousness fails to see the visible object actuallyoccurring, how can observation and noting it conibute to the knowledgeof the genesis and dissolution of maer?

According to the Commentaries and the Abhidhamma, maer (rpa)comes into existence four or ve thought moments before eye-consciousnessand dissolves twelve, or at least nine or ten thought moments aer itssubsidence. It is, therefore, correct to say that eye-consciousness fails to noticethe genesis and dissolution of the visible object at the moment of seeing.However, mindfulness has the abili to recall the genesis and dissolution ofthe actual phenomena perceived by eye-consciousness. According to theteaching in the Suas, if the phenomenon is known by virtue of mindfulness,the genesis and dissolution of the sense-object can be cognised by eye-consciousness too.

The Jhna Sua in the Aguaranikya mentions that when a meditatorarises om jhna, he is able to recall the jhnic consciousness, its concomitants,and the mental aggregate, which he meditated upon during jhna. He isclearly aware of them as if observing them with eye-consciousness. However,the genesis and dissolution of maer could not be perceived distinctly duringjhna because he did not pay aention to it then. However, when jhnicconsciousness, its concomitants, and the mental aggregate have been clearlyunderstood, the nature of the maer that arises because of jhna can beunderstood by inference.

So on the authori of that discourse, it may be shown that when one isnoting the phenomenon of seeing, one is aware of the genesis and dissolutionof the maer that forms the visible object, and that depends on eye-consciousness. When a meditator contemplates maer, he sees its arisingand disappearance just like lightning. So it has been said:

Mental formations renew their appearance, and just as they arerenewed they perish, just as a ash of lightning appears anddisappears instantly.

Consider a lightning ash. Who can honestly say that he can see its genesisand dissolution? Although one can see the entire phenomenon, one can seeneither its beginning nor its end, but one does see it happen. To a meditator whopossesses knowledge of dissolution and knowledge of equanimi with regard


to formations, it is clear that the visible object makes its appearance, only tovanish at the next instant, just as lightning arises and disappears. This is evenmore evident in the case of sounds or tactile sensations. When one realises thethree characteristics by direct knowledge of the arising and passing away ofmind and maer, one may be sure that one has acquired insight knowledge.

Furthermore, if one continues to meditate in the way insucted, knowl-edge of disgust (nibbid-a) will develop. When one thus gets disenchantedwith the aggregates, craving will be expelled, and with the absence of craving,the Noble Path can be aained, when one will become a Seam-winner.

Maer that is cognised by eye-consciousness arises simultaneously withpassive subconsciousness (atta bhavaga) inherited om the past. It dissolvessimultaneously with the second thought-moment of registering during theformation of the thought process. However, it is not possible to be directlyaware of genesis and dissolution. They can only be understood throughapplied knowledge (sutamayapa). Learning things at second-hand,however, may not conibute to the awakening of insight and the consequentrealisation of knowledge of disgust (nibbid-a). No one can say preciselyhow maer arises, whether it is with the rst, second, or third moment ofsubconsciousness, or when exactly it dissolves, whether with the secondmoment of registering or the seventh moment of impulsion. If insightknowledge were to require such precision regarding these thought processes,an ordinary meditator could not aain it. What the Abhidhamma Commen-taries aim at is for the meditator to gain knowledge through applied methodswhen necessary. Such details do not maer in the practice of insightmeditation. It is enough for the meditator to note the phenomenon as it arisesin the same way that one notes the phenomenon of lightning. This agreeswith the insuction: Note that you go, when you go.

Meditating on Hearing, etc.Mlukyapua undertook to apply mindfulness to the activities of the six

senses. If one is constantly mindful, one will just hear what appears at the ear-door,and no more. As I am delivering this discourse, you are hearing each syllable thatI am uering. If you concenate on each syllable that I pronounce, you willcertainly miss the import and meaning of what I am ying to convey to you. Ifyou stop short at cognition of the sounds that I make, you will not be able to notethem in the conceptual way, which means you will not form any concept regardingwhat you hear. Likewise, when you smell an odour, you just know the odour.Consciousness will not ow any further than that. When you feel tactile sensations

The Benets of Insight Knowledge 15

and stop short at that, you will just know that you have touched something orthat something has touched you, and you will not go beyond that.

With the range of mental objects too, you will just stop short at the pointwhere mind-consciousness arises without formulating concepts. Thendelements will not be able to arise. I will say more about that later.

Let me remind you of the passage cited earlier regarding seeing, hearing,etc. When you see, you just see it; when you hear, you just hear it; whenyou think, you just think it; and when you know, you just know it. This isthe practice of insight meditation in a nutshell. It means that whenconsciousness of sense-objects arises, you should note the arising so that themind just stops there. You will not be able to do this unless you note thephenomenon with mindfulness. Even when you are ying to note in thisway, your mind may deviate om its main objective to investigate the natureof the object, especially when you are just beginning meditation.

Some assert that by merely investigating the three characteristics one canremain just with consciousness as it arises. Some go so far as to say that themind should be just kept as it is, then it will automatically stop at cognitionof things seen or heard. This amounts to saying that the mind should be leunresained without keeping guard over it. This means that mindfulnesswill be discarded. Let me ask such dissenters, How will you react to harshwords that grind your ears, or to ash that inames you, or to physical andmental pain that undermine your equanimi? Without noting the psychewith mindfulness, how can anyone keep it as it is? Let these people judgefor themselves the ue worth of their own assertions.

When a meditator contemplates constantly on the phenomena of seeing,hearing, etc., he or she will realise the knowledge of dissolution, which willreveal the moment when dissolution occurs. If the meditator abides in thatmoment, insight knowledge will be sengthened and its benets will follow.

The Benets of Insight Knowledge

Mlukyapua If, when you see, you just see it; when you hear,you just hear it; when you think, you just think it; when youknow, you just know it, then you will realise that the sense-objects you perceive have nothing to do with you.

This means that in no way can you get involved with the sense-objectsthat you perceive. You are completely ee om the lust, anger, and delusionthat those sense-objects usually arouse. When you fail to stop short at seeing,


hearing, etc., your mind will cling to those passions, and whenever you recallthose sense-objects they will again arouse lust, anger, and delusion.

Those who fail to note seeing, hearing, etc., get emotionally involved withthe sights, sounds, etc., with which they come into contact. Those who havedeveloped insight knowledge of dissolution through the practice of medita-tion realise the constant dissolution of both the sense-objects and the mindthat knows them, and they are able to grasp the signicance of the threecharacteristics. Since sense-objects fail to generate delements in themeditator, there is no reason for the meditator to recall them, and sodelements are discarded. The inclination to delements caused bysense-objects is called rammanusaya.

The Commentaries urge meditators to give unwholesome impulsions awide berth. In fact, abandoning such impulsions come naturally to thediligent meditator, who requires no special eort to shun evil. When insightknowledge becomes keen, impulsions fail to arise because the seam ofconsciousness stops at determining. So the ow of consciousness subsidesat determining, before impulsion begins to operate.

The Buddha continued: Mlukyapua! When you have nothing to dowith the sense-objects that you perceive, you will get no foothold on them.

Inclination to NibbnaThe Commentaries on the Udna Kath elaborate on the word foothold.

When a meditator lets go of craving and egoistic views, releasing himselfom the ideas of I, Mine, or My self, he cannot get stuck in sense-objects.As the Buddha said, Mlukyapua When you lose your foothold on theobjects of sense, you will neither be here in this world, nor there in the otherworld, and not being anywhere in either world means the end of suering.

When the ego has no foothold, mind and maer ceases to exist in all possibleworlds, and this cessation means the end of suering. This becomes apparentwhen the meditators mind gets inclined towards nibbna through the realisationof the Noble Path. When an Arahant aains parinibbna no vestige of mind ormaer remains. As soon as death consciousness occurs at the time of parinibbna,the Arahant achieves the extinction of suering without remainder (anupadisesanibbna). Regarding this the Commentaries say that when a meditator loses hisfoothold on maer, he is neither here in the six organs of sense, nor there in thesix sense-doors, nor anywhere in the six pes of consciousness.

This agrees with the actual experience of the meditator who has gainedknowledge of dissolution and knowledge of equanimi with regard to

A Summary of the Mlukyapua Sua 17

formations. No delements can arise on realising the ue nature ofimpermanent phenomena. Such a meditator takes a totally impersonal andobjective view of the sights and sounds that he or she sees or hears. Aerthat stage the aainment of adaptation knowledge (anuloma-a) willprepare the meditator for the Noble Path, when he or she enters the seamof consciousness (goabh) that raises him or her to the supramundane stage,overcoming the lineage of the sensual sphere. On the abandonment of thesensual sphere, the meditator realises nibbna.

This is what the Milinda Paha says:

Tassa ta cia aparpara manasikaroto pavaa samatik-kamitv appavaa okkamati, appavaamanuppao mahrjasammpaipanno nibbna sacchikarotiti vuccati.

One who practises correctly, having paid aention repeatedlyto that consciousness, anscends continual occurrence andreaches non-occurrence [of mind and maer]. O King! One whohas aained non-occurrence with correct practice is said torealise nibbna.

A Summary of the Mlukyapua Sua

The following is a summary of what the Buddha taught to Mlukyapuaregarding meditation.

1. When you note with mindfulness what you see, hear, think, or know,remain conscious of just seeing, hearing, thinking, or knowing, andnothing more.

2. If you just see, hear, think, or know what you are seeing, hearing,thinking, or knowing, you will not get emotionally involved in thosephenomena.

3. Since you have nothing whatever to do with them, you will nd nofoothold on the sense-objects that you perceive.

4. As you have no foothold on them, you are neither here nor there, noranywhere, and because you exist nowhere it means that you haverealised nibbna where all suering ceases.

When Mlukyapua had had the benet of the Buddhas advice, heexpressed his satisfaction in twen-four stanzas. Saying, Well said,Mlukyapua! the Buddha elaborated on them himself, one by one. I willnow explain them all, one by one.


Failure to Meditate on Form While SeeingRpa disv sati muh, piya nimia manasi karoto. Sraaciovedeti, taca ajjhosa tihati.

Having seen a form one loses mindfulness. Geing involved in theaaction of it, one feels the onset of desire that ies to imbibe it.

It is only human to get aacted to beautiful sense-objects. You look atsomething because it gives you pleasure. At that moment you forget to practisethe Dhamma. Even a meditator may be moved by pleasant visible objects,and aention may be diverted om his or her noble aim. Those unaccustomedto meditation practice, may easily give themselves away to alluring visibleobjects. As soon as the concept of beau overpowers them, they will forgetabout the Dhamma. Form, therefore, makes one forgetful or unmindful.

A pleasing smile makes an impression on the heart of one who sees it, andit is always a pleasure to recall it. One remembers it for days, months, or years.The mind is then taking in the form as if ying to ingest or imbibe it.

Here, I am speaking about the reaction to forms in general terms. Of course,there are occasions when one feels repugnant towards the object one sees. Atother times, one may be indierent. Whatever the case may be, the crux of themaer is that form generates various kinds of feelings such as pain, pleasure,greed, or anger, which give rise to kamma and its results as the round ofsuering. Suering as the result of forms is shown by the next stanza:

Tassa vahanti vedan, anek rpasambhav; Abhijjh ca vihes ca,ciamasspahaati. Evamcinato dukkha, r nibbna, vuccati.

A multitude of passions such as covetousness and rage,springing om form, torments one who takes a rm hold of it,with the result that his mind becomes burdened with vexation.Therefore, nibbna remains remote om one who would rathercarry the burden of suering than practise meditation.

All forms gives rise to feelings or passions. When an agreeable object ispresented to anyone, he or she delights in it, which is pleasant feeling. Whena repugnant object is presented, he or she feels miserable, which is unpleasantfeeling. Such feelings are the cause of vexation, which torment him or her.If one sees a beautiful object, desire to possess it arises. One will get annoyedif one thinks that someone is thwarting ones wishes to acquire it. Such mentaldispositions are the product of greed and anger. They worry the unmindful

Meditating on Form Brings Nibbna Near 19

person, who is forever busily engaged in malevolent activities against thosewho obsuct the fullment of his or her desires. Spurred on by greed andanger, he becomes exhausted in his or her eorts to counter the oppositionof rivals and adversaries, whether real or imaginary.

Most people live without mindfulness throughout their lives. It will bedicult for them to change and become mindful. One who cannot acceptmindfulness accepts delements, which bring about the cycle of suering.In that case nibbna remains far away.

Failure to meditate will deprive one of the knowledge of the threecharacteristics, inviting delements to increase the miseries of life, just likeadding fuel to a re.

Below I summarise these points relating to form:

1. Form engenders tender passions that send mindfulness to oblivion.2. The impassioned mind imbibes form.3. Form gives rise to feelings of pain and pleasure.4. Conditioned by greed, anger arises causing anxie and worry.5. Whoever accepts conditions that create suering, will always have

suering as a companion.6. The round of suering keeps nibbna remote.

Meditating on Form Brings Nibbna NearThe foregoing stanzas paint the dark side of the picture, but I shall also

give the bright side of it.

Na so rajjati rpesu, rpa disv patissato;Viraacio vedeti, taca njjhossa tihati.

Passion remains undeveloped in him who recollects withmindfulness the form that he has seen. Thus eed om lust, herefuses to imbibe it.

This stanza reveals the essence of insight meditation. It enjoins the meditatorto note with mindfulness the object seen, and meditate on it. From this it is clearthat insight meditation means noting the object one has actually seen, not anobject one has not seen. It can be accomplished only through practical wisdom,and not through knowledge acquired om hearing what others say.

The Commentaries on the Theragth say that a meditator must y tonote the eye-object perceived as it presents itself to eye-consciousness throughthe eye-door, being mindful of the four aspects of clear comprehension:


knowing what is benecial, what is proper, what is the objective, and withunconfused mindfulness.

Earlier I told you about the thought process relating to eye-consciousness.What I am talking about now is the same thing. If you fail to note the processof seeing just as it occurs, y to catch the rst thought moment ofmind-consciousness. One who can seize that moment and notice the absolutereali of form, may notice the dissolution of both the sense-object and theeye-consciousness at the moment of seeing. When one concenates on theact of seeing without thinking over what one has seen, visual perception willlast only for an instant. This agrees with the saying, Dihe dihamaabhavissati. In that case, delements will have no chance to assert themselves.In the absence of delements, lust and craving subside.

Desire stimulates feelings and passions, which beget craving (tah), bymeans of which one imbibes form. A non-meditator, although fully awareof seeing the object, fails to note it with mindfulness, and so permits cravingto arise. However, a meditator does not conceptualise about what is seen, sothere is no chance for desire or craving to arise, for the meditator is alwaysmindful of dissolution. In this case, delusion is eliminated and wisdom arises.In the absence of delements such as craving, kamma and its results as newbecoming cannot arise, so the meditator will be liberated om suering. Thisis emphasized in the next stanza:

Yathssa passato rpa, sevato cpi vedana;Khyati nopacyati, eva so carat sato. Eva apacinato dukkha,santike nibbna vuccati.

Looking at a visible object, a meditator just sees it and just feelsthat he sees it, without conceptualising it. With this, sueringceases. One who practises in this way is said to be near to nibbna.

As the meditator is not imbibing or conceptualising forms, which he orshe notes with mindfulness, he or she is not inviting delements, whichbring about kamma and its results.

The Commentaries on the Theragth emphasise that seeing the formmeans seeing it with the sength of conviction that what one sees is imperma-nent. Eye-consciousness brings about sensations of seeing, which mind-consciousness takes to heart. The mind collects them and stores them up in thesame way that a greedy person amasses wealth. The result is the upsurge ofcovetousness, one of the delements on which kamma and its results depends.A meditator refuses to accept eye-consciousness and its consequences in this

Sounds Not Heard Before 21

way. In other words a meditator abstains om imbibing delements that leadto the round of suering. Each time one meditates on the phenomenon of seeing,insight knowledge is developed. Each time insight knowledge is developed,delements are discarded. So one is said to be enjoying tadaga nibbna momentary bliss obtained at the moment that delements are discarded.

A meditator who is dwelling with the realities (paramaha), will graduallyrealise the insight knowledges stage by stage. He or she will proceed omanalytical knowledge of mind and maer (nmarpa-pariccheda-a) toknowledge of change of lineage (goabh-a) through adaptation knowl-edge (anuloma-a). According to the sayings in the Pahna, this willultimately lead one to the Path and its Fruition. It should be noted thatadaptation knowledge is the highest of the ten stages of insight knowledge.Aspirants to nibbna must, therefore, engage themselves in insight meditation.

The following is a summary of the points discussed so far:

1. On noting forms with mindfulness, lust is eliminated.2. In the absence of lust or desire, the mind refuses to imbibe forms.3. Note as soon as you see, and be conscious just of seeing.4. If one meditates in that way, the round of suering will cease.5. This is the way for meditators to practise.6. On the cessation of suering, nibbna will come into view.

Sounds Not Heard BeforeNow I will deal with the second question posed by the Buddha for

Mlukyapua to answer.

What do you think, Mlukyapua? There are certain soundsthat you have never heard before, do not hear now, and do nothope to hear in the future. Could such objects arouse desire, lust,or aection in you?

Mlukyapua replied that no desire, lust, or aection could possible ariseom sounds or voices that one had never heard before, did nor hear now,nor imagined. This answer is right. On hearing a pleasant voice and cognisingthe individual making it, the hearer develops aection or aachment for theowner of the voice. As aachment is developed, delements are broughtinto play and the consequences of suering follow. If one meditates onhearing, delements will be kept away. Remember what I said previouslyregarding the phenomenon of seeing.


Concept and RealiWhat has been discussed earlier about the thought process relating to

eye-consciousness applies with due alteration of details to ear-consciousness,so I give only the gist of the process relating to ear-consciousness.

When a sound enters the ear-door we say that a sound is heard. This isthe rst thought process relating to ear-consciousness. Then mind-conscious-ness investigates the nature of the sound heard. This is the rst thoughtprocess relating to mind-consciousness. In the second thought process ofmind-consciousness the name suggested by sound is cognised. In the nextthought process, the name given to the sound is apprehended.

As an object makes a sound, the ear just hears it. If you note this withmindfulness, without going beyond the hearing, you call a halt to the processof hearing. The seam of consciousness stops owing there and then.However, if you are unmindful, mental formations and activities will bebrought into play. You may remember the sound that you hear and thinkover it. That means that the seam of mind-consciousness has taken over.Even then, the process of mind-consciousness is only aware of the sound,and concept has not yet been formed. If you can note this with mindfulness,apperception ends here, stopping at the stage of the absact idea of the sound.If you fail to interrupt further mental activities, the next process ofmind-consciousness will interpret the concept of the individual making thesound, and the next process will distinguish the sex of the individual. Thiswill be followed by the development of ani or repulsion. This is how thethought process stirs up delements. So it is imperative to meditate onhearing just as you hear. I have summarised these statements as follows:

1. If you fail to note the phenomenon with mindfulness, you end up withconceptual knowledge.

2. To obtain knowledge of the ultimate realities, the following should beborne in mind.

3. Note with mindfulness the instant that you hear. (Note as soon as theprocess of ear-consciousness occurs or, failing that, note as soon as theprocess of mind-consciousness occurs).

4. Interrupt the ow of the process of thought at hearing. (If you can dothis, the second process of mind-consciousness cannot arise). This isin accordance with the saying, Sute sutamaa bhavissati.

5. Then you can distinguish mind om maer. (What you hear is maerat work. When you are noting, mind is at work. Mind and maer are

The Story of Nanda 23

thus distinguished. Both the hearing and the noting appear only todisappear at the next instant.)

6. Finally, you will recognise the three characteristics of impermanence,unsatisfactoriness, and not-self.

Failure to Meditate on Sound While HearingSadda sutv sati muh,piya nimia manasi karoto;Sraacio vedeti, taca ajjhossa tihati.

Having heard a sound, one loses mindfulness. Geing involvedin the aaction of it, one feels the onset of desire that ies toimbibe it.

When a sound presents itself at the ear-door, the hearer ies to appreciateit, generally expecting it to be sweet and agreeable, which tends to induceunwholesome thoughts, speech, and actions. While paying aention to thesound, one loses mindfulness, and desire arises if it is a pleasant sound. Thehearer takes in what is heard as if ingesting or imbibing it. Whenever thehearer recalls it, desire arises and torments him or her repeatedly. The storyof Prince Nanda illusates this point.

The Story of NandaPrince Siddhaha and Prince Nanda were half-brothers; the formers

mother was Mah My, and the laers was Mah Pajpat Gotam. Theirmothers were sisters, both married to King Suddhodana. When Mah Mydied seven days aer the birth of Siddhaha, Mah Pajpat Gotam le herown son in the care of royal wet-nurses, and brought up Siddhaha,breast-feeding him herself.

Prince Siddhaha became the Buddha, and came to Rjagaha to spendthe rst Rains Reeat there. Three days aer his arrival, King Suddhodanaarranged a prenuptial feast for his second son, Prince Nanda, beothed toPrincess Janapada Kaly. As the Buddha was invited, he came to the palacewhere the meal was oered to him. When he was about to return to themonastery, he told Prince Nanda to take his (the Buddhas) bowl, and followhim. In awe of his elder brother, Nanda did as he was told, expecting theBuddha to take his bowl and discharge him sooner or later. As he was aboutto leave the palace, Princess Janapada Kaly called out, My Lord, comeback soon!


Once at the monastery, the Buddha asked his younger brother if he wouldbecome a monk. The prince had no mind to put on the robe, but beingoverwhelmed with awe he said, yes. So he was ordained, but he was nothappy at all. One day he complained, I am unhappy in this noble practice.I cannot stay any longer. I will revert to lay life.

The Buddha knew of Nandas discontent, so asked him why he wasunhappy. Nanda told him that Janapada Kalys words were ringing inhis ears.

The Buddha took his younger brother by the hand and led him to adesolate place, recently burnt by a forest re, and showed him a maimedold hag of a monkey siing by a smouldering log. From there he took himto Tvatis, and inoduced the love-lorn prince to a bevy of ve hundreddeities. The Buddha asked Nanda who was more beautiful, Janapada or anyone of the deities. Nanda replied, Venerable sir, compared to these deities,Janapada is like that old monkey I saw previously.

Nanda, said the Buddha, remain as a bhikkhu. I promise you that youwill win one of the beauties you can see now. When they came back omTvatisa, Nanda became diligent in the practice, hoping that one day hewould get one of the deities.

Word went around the monastery that Nanda was practising the Dhammawith an eye to geing a beautiful dei for a wife. He was teased by his fellowmonks as being like a daily wage-earner, or even a bonded slave, who workedfor material benets. He was mortied by these remarks. Secluding himself,he practised meditation with the utmost eort and determination until allhis delements had dried up. Finally, he won the Path and its Fruition,becoming an Arahant.

The lesson to be learned om this story is that if one is unable to note withmindfulness the sound that one hears, one tends to recall it again and again.Then it gets stuck in the mind. The mind imbibes all the feelings conjuredup by craving.

Tassa vahanti vedan, anek saddasambhav; Abhijjh ca vihesca, ciamasspahaati. Evamcinato dukkha, r nibbna, vuccati.

A multitude of passions such as covetousness and rage,springing om sound, torments one who takes a rm hold of it,with the result that his mind becomes burdened with vexation.Therefore, nibbna remains remote om one who would rathercarry the burden of suering than practise meditation.

Failure to Meditate on Odour While Smelling 25

This needs no further elucidation as enough has been said about the aitudeof mind on seeing, which may be substituted by hearing in the present context.

Meditating on Sound Brings Nibbna Near

Na so rajjati saddesu, sadda sutv patissato;Viraacio vedeti, taca njjhossa tihati.

Passion remains undeveloped in him who recollects withmindfulness the sound that he has heard. Thus eed om lust,he refuses to imbibe it.

Yathssa suato sadda, sevato cpi vedana;Khyati nopacyati, eva so carat sato.

Listening to an audible object, a meditator just hears it and justfeels that he hears it, without conceptualising it. With this, sueringceases. One who practises in this way is said to be near to nibbna.

These stanzas need no elucidation. What has been said about seeingapplies with due alteration of details to hearing, and this also applies to thesummaries given in the form of aphorisms.

Odours Not Smelled BeforeThe Buddha posed this third question for Mlukyapua:

What do you think, Mlukyapua? There are certain odoursthat you have never smelled before, do not smell now, and donot hope to smell in the future. Could such odours arouse desire,lust, or aection in you?

Mlukyapua replied that it was impossible for desire, lust, or aectionto arise regarding odours that one had never smelled, did not smell now,and did not hope to smell in the future.

As desire cannot develop om an unknown quanti, it is not necessaryfor a meditator to reect on it, but those who fail to note odours andnose-consciousness will remain remote om nibbna.

Failure to Meditate on Odour While SmellingThe Buddha, satised with Mlukyapuas answer, said, Well said, and

uered the four stanzas in the same manner as before.


Gandha ghatv sati muh,piya nimia manasi karoto.Sraacio vedeti, taca ajjhossa tihati.

Having smelled an odour, one loses mindfulness. Geinginvolved in the aaction of it, one feels the onset of desire thaties to imbibe it.

Meditators rarely enjoy agrant odours. Mostly they have to enduredisagreeable odours. So it is not unusual for them to long for agrance. Thisis aachment, which makes one unmindful of the Dhamma.

Tassa vahanti vedan, anek gandhasambhav; Abhijjh ca vihesca, ciamasspahaati. Evamcinato dukkha, r nibbna vuccati.

A multitude of passions such as covetousness and rage,springing om odours, torments one who takes a rm hold ofit, with the result that his mind becomes burdened with vexation.Therefore, nibbna remains remote om one who would rathercarry the burden of suering than practise meditation.

Here, as before, the emphasis is on the fact that failure to meditate keepsnibbna remote.

Meditating on Odour Brings Nibbna Near

Na so rajjati gandhesu, gandha ghatv patissato; Viraacio vedeti,taca njjhossa tihati.

Passion remains undeveloped in him who recollects withmindfulness the odour that he has smelled. Thus eed om lust,he refuses to imbibe it.

Yathssa ghyato gandha, sevato cpi vedana; Khyati nopacyati,eva so carat sato.Eva apacinato dukkha, santike nibbna vuccati.

Smelling an odour, a meditator just smells it and just feels thathe smells it, without conceptualising it. With this, sueringceases. One who practises in this way is said to be near to nibbna.

To dispel suering, note with mindfulness every time an odour presentsitself to your mind. Now I will go on to the sense of taste. It will show youhow to practise vipassan.

Failure to Meditate on Flavour While Tasting 27

Flavours Not Tasted BeforeThe Buddha posed the next question for Mlukyapua.

What do you think, Mlukyapua? There are certain avoursthat you have never tasted before, do not taste now, and do nothope to taste in the future. Could such avours arouse desire,lust, or aection in you?

Let me refer in passing to the human weakness for the pleasures of taste.Those who have never tasted uits and cakes om other counies have nodesire to for them, since they have never enjoyed them, but people who havetasted them, develop a craving for them. In the scriptures there are instancesof people losing their lives to satis their palates. Delements can bedispelled if one meditates on tasting, noting the instant when taste occurs.

Failure to Meditate on Flavour While TastingRasa bhotv sati muh,piya nimia manasi karoto.Sraacio vedeti, taca ajjhossa tihati.

Having tasted a avour, one loses mindfulness. Geing involvedin the aaction of it, one feels the onset of desire that ies toimbibe it.

Few people ever meditate on eating and taste. Ordinary lay people arequite unaware of this meditation practice. Even learned persons do not payheed to it, assuming that as one gets the avour of food as it is taken, thereis no need to note it with mindfulness. This amounts to irreverence to theteachings of insight meditation. Others go so far as to say that meditatingon taste is a sheer waste of time. Eating, they say, should be done quickly sothat more time can be devoted to meditation.

The majori of meditators are guil of unmindfulness in eating. Oncethey fail to note the avour as they take food, they lose mindfulness andbecome aached to it. That means they cherish the desire, and enjoy thepleasure of eating.

All food and comestibles are prepared to be delicious. When lay people oerfood to the monks, they take special care to make the food appealing to thepalate. This shows how much importance people give to avour. I rememberan observation made by a Saydaw in Moulmein. He once taught one of his


devotees that it was usual for monks to partake of food with mindfulness thatdisregards the avour, as if what is delicious was repugnant. This drew a protestom the devotee who said, Venerable sir! It is most improper that you shouldview the delicious dishes that I have prepared for you enjoyment as repugnant.It was quite logical for him to say so, because food for the monks is usuallyprepared by donors so that the recipients could eat them with relish. Here, thepreparation of delicious food is the responsibili of the donor, but monks shouldcontemplate all food as repugnant so that delements cannot overwhelm them.

The monastic aining requires that monks eat, reecting wisely. Unlike laypeople, monks should take food, not for enjoyment, nor for indulgence, norfor physical development, nor for faening, but just to maintain the body, forsupporting the holy life, to quench the pains of hunger and thirst, so that theycan eectively pursue the practice of meditation. If one can practise meditationon the repulsiveness of food (hre paikklasa), it is all the more commend-able. Regarding this please see the Visuddhimagga [Vism. 341]. However, forour purposes it will be best to follow the method of Satipahna.

Tassa vahanti vedan, anek rasasambhav; Abhijjh ca vihes ca,ciamasspahaati. Evamcinato dukkha, r nibbna vuccati.

A multitude of passions such as covetousness and rage,springing om avours, torments one who takes a rm hold ofit, with the result that his mind becomes burdened with vexation.Therefore, nibbna remains remote om one who would rathercarry the burden of suering than practise meditation.

No elaboration is needed beyond the fact that odour is here to besubstituted by avour.

There are three basic necessities of life food, clothing, and shelter. Theworld is teeming with millions of hungry people. The search for food is agreat burden to them. People go all out to get it. In the suggle for a living,some grab what they want by all means, whether fair or foul, and anger isaroused when they encounter competition or opposition om rivals for thesame food. The result is ouble for everyone. All these oubles stem omthe development of desire and aachment due to failing to meditate; in thiscase on taste. When one is overpowered by delements, one becomestormented by kamma and its results, which brings about the round of suering.

Most people do not care to meditate when eating. It is habitual for themto be unmindful when eating, and this habit becomes hardened. In that casethey are accumulating suering, which burns like re for many lives to come.

Meditating on Flavour Brings Nibbna Near 29

Meditating on Flavour Brings Nibbna Near

Na so rajjati rasesu, rasa bhotv patissato; Viraacio vedeti, taca njjhossa tihati.

Passion remains undeveloped in him who recollects withmindfulness the avour that he has tasted. Thus eed om lust,he refuses to imbibe it.

This is a clear insuction to the meditator to apply the principle of insightmeditation to the phenomenon of tongue-consciousness, as soon as the foodis tasted. It does not say that the avour one has never experienced shouldbe noted with mindfulness. I will give you an example to show how tomeditate on it.

When a monk sits before a table and sees the food, he notes thephenomenon of seeing. As he raises his hand to pick up the food, he notesthe raising of the hand. As he takes a morsel of food in his hand, he notesthat he is taking it. As he brings it towards his mouth, he notes that he isbringing it. As it touches his mouth, he notes the touching. As he opens hismouth, puts the food in, closes his mouth, brings his hand down, touchesthe plate with his hand, and meanwhile chews the food, he notes each ofthese actions. As his hands move and he chews the food, he is conscious ofthe element of motion operating. If his hand touches hot food, he is awareof the element of heat. When he tastes sweet or sour on the tongue, he notesthe avour. As he is thus noting all the phenomena connecting with eatingor tasting, he dispels desire for food, and eventually all lust for it. When hisconcenation gets songer, he knows the avour only as avour and nothingmore. It does not occur to him that a particular dish of chicken curry isdelicious. It means that he has abandoned the pleasurable object of taste,and thus he eradicates delements.

The experience of meditators at Mahsi Yeikth bears this out. When ameditator eats, he becomes conscious of the agrant smell and sweet tastethat the food generates. However, as soon as he comes to know thephenomena of smell, taste, and the nose and tongue-consciousness, and themind that notes this, they dissolve away. Under these circumstances, lusthas no chance to assert itself, for the meditator cognises avour just as avourand nothing more. Some meditators say as they were noting the phenomenonof tasting, they failed to recognise what kind of food they had been given.This is quite possible. For, in the absence of desire and aachment, no pleasure


can be derived om the food taken. Where there is no aachment, one doesnot take a rm hold of feeling, as if one is going to devour it.

Yathssa syarato rasa, sevato cpi vedana;Khyati nopacyati, eva so carat sato. Eva apacinato dukkha,santike nibbna vuccati.

Tasting a avour, a meditator just tastes it and just feels that hetastes it, without conceptualising it. With this, suering ceases.One who practises in this way is said to be near to nibbna.

A meditator eats and tastes the food just like anyone else, but does notindulge in the avour, so does not commit wholesome or unwholesomedeeds in relation to the avour. It means that tasting cannot lead to kammaformations and their results. Without them no new becoming can arise, andthere will be an end to the round of suering.

The docine of dependent origination says, Vedan paccay tah feeling begets craving. However, as no craving arises when the feeling hassubsided, clinging does not result, and delements, kamma and its resultsbecome inoperative. Since the causes of suering are eliminated, a meditatorwho is steadfast in the practice of insight meditation, aains momentarybliss (tadaga nibbna), when peace is established for the duration of theelimination of delements. This can eventually lead to the fullment of theNoble Path and its Fruition.

Realisation of the DhammaMany examples are cited in the Commentaries regarding the aainment

of nibbna as one meditates on eating. In Sri Lanka in former times, therewere rest houses where monks on their daily rounds for alms could stop toeat. It was usual for them to have their early morning gruel there, and thenset out for alms, returning to the same place for their full meal. Most of thempractised insight meditation while eating and became Arahants. In thosedays this was the rule rather than the exception.

In the Commentary on the Puggalapaai, it says:

Making senuous eorts in insight meditation with implicitfaith in it, an individual can realise the knowledge of the Pathand its Fruition while walking, standing, siing, lying down,taking light food or heavy meals. No instances exist where onefails to aain wisdom when one practices like this.

Touches Not Touched Before 31

So I urge you to note in detail the entire process of eating while you eat. Ifyou are having your meals alone, this can be done quite easily. For eachmouthful that you take, there may be about six things worth noting, and ifyou note them continuously, it may take you about an hour to nish your meal.If you have to eat with others, this may not be possible, but I urge you to y.

Touches Not Touched BeforeThe h question put to Mlukyapua is as follows:

What do you think, Mlukyapua? There are certain tangibleobjects that you have never touched before, that you are nottouching now, and do not hope to touch in the future. Couldsuch objects arouse desire, lust, or aection in you?

Mlukyapua replied in the negative, which is right. Here again it maybe sessed that no delements can arise for sense-objects with which one isunfamiliar. Indigenous peoples develop no desire for foreign fashions, whichthey have never even seen before. The same analogy applies to iendship one never makes iends with people whom one has never met or seen before.

For most of us, seeing or hearing is intermient. We are not seeing orhearing things all the time. Since we are not always eating, tasting is evenless equent. Tactile sensations, however, occur all the time. They are farmore pervasive than other sensations. They may be felt even when one issiing or standing still, or eating and drinking. So we are involved withsensations of touch day in and day out. Meditators usually have to meditatemore on objects of touch than on any other objects.

The text says, Gacchanto v gacchmti pajnti know that you aregoing, when you go. When you note the walking, liing the foot, pushingit forward, and puing it down, you are conscious of the entire movementconnected with the process of walking. This means that knowledge ofwalking arises. So you should let that knowledge remain as it is accordingto the insuction, Mute mutamaa bhavissati when you know, just knowit. Do not go further than that. This meditation technique is mostly on theactivities of the element of motion, though at times the element of heat, orthe element of hardness may also be prominent. Mostly though, one mustconcenate on the element of motion.

The text goes on to say, hito v hitomhti pajnti; nisinno v nisinnomhtipajnti know that you are standing when you stand, know that you are


siing when you sit. Here too, you are insucted to note the nature of theelement of motion. If you are not satised with this method, note the activiof the element of motion by watching the rise and fall of the abdomen as youare standing, siing, or lying down.

Why Mindfulness of Respiration is Not TaughtMindfulness of respiration (npnassati) is included in the ten recollec-

tions. It is concenation on breathing in and breathing out. Breathing is anact of the element of motion. It may be asked, therefore, Why not take upthe exercise of breathing in and out? In my opinion, I agree that npnacould lead to the establishment of insight knowledge, but it should be notedthat the Visuddhimagga puts it in the category of samatha, as opposed tovipassan meditation objects. It enumerates the fourteen body contemplationsas follows:

Herein, the three, that is to say, the sections on the four postures,on the four kinds of full awareness, and on aention directedto the elements as they are stated [at M.iii.89] deal with insight.

... So there are only two, that is the sections on breathing and ondirecting aention to repulsiveness that, as stated there, dealwith concenation. (Vism.240)

Thus it is clearly stated that mindfulness of breathing belongs to thedevelopment of concenation. Therefore, if we advocated mindfulness ofbreathing we would be open to the criticism that we were teaching samathaand not vipassan. Then we would be unable to make a rebual of this chargewithout conadicting this teaching in the Visuddhimagga. However, weallow those who like to practise mindfulness of the respiration to have theirwish. We impose no resiction upon them.

The Paisambhidmagga and the Visuddhimagga are explicit on the pointthat, when doing breathing exercises, one must concenate on the tip of thenose without leing the mind follow the course of the breath in and out. Thepurpose is to enable the meditator to develop neighbourhood concenation(upacra samdhi) and access concenation (appan samdhi) to enter jhna.

In the practice of insight, there is no resiction that directs themeditator to note only one phenomenon continuously. If we insuct themeditators to note all the phenomena of touch that occur in various partsof the body while breathing in and out, we will again be open to thecriticism that we are conadicting the two authorities just cited. That is

Meditation on Abdominal Movements 33

why we do not encourage meditators to practise mindfulness of respira-tion for insight meditation.

Meditation on Abdominal MovementsIt has been asked whether meditation on the rising and falling of the

abdomen really conforms to the Pi texts. This question may be answeredon the authori of the Sayatana Vagga of the Sayuanikya where it isstated that failure to note the arising and passing away of mind and maeroccurring at the six sense-doors results in the upsurge of delements, whilemeditating on them brings nibbna closer through the realisation of the Pathand Fruition with the suppression of delements. The Mlukyapua Suais also very clear on this point. I shall give reasons in support of our methodconforming to the scriptures.

When Satipahna teaching prescribes observing the four elements, it isadvocating the observance of the apparent phenomena created by the fourprimary elements. Abdominal movements indicate the working of theelement of motion, which is one of the four elements to be observed by themethod of aention to the elements (dhtumanasikra). I prefer ordinarylanguage to Pi technical terms, so instead of asking meditators to contem-plate vyo dhtu, I ask them to observe the rising and falling of the abdomen.Employing everyday language agrees with the Buddhas preference forsimple speech when he gave the advice, Gacchmi v gacchmiti pajnti.As the meditators concenation develops with continued practice of insightmeditation, he or she will come to realise the nature of the element of motionin the movements of the abdomen.

On the authori of the Satipahna Sua, and others in theSayuanikya, we take it that a meditator should concenate not only onthe four postures usually mentioned in the scriptures, but also on otherpostures or actions that can be met with in the normal course of events.

If a meditator does not feel satised with noting the rising and fallingof the abdomen, he or she can y meditating on siing while siing, onstanding while standing, or on lying down while lying down. However,we do not urge meditators to practise mindfulness of respiration as wemaintain that it conadicts statements in the Visuddhimagga and Commen-taries on the Satipahna Sua, which speak of insight meditation aerthe aainment to jhna through noting breathing in and breathing out, butwe do not deter anyone om practising mindfulness of respiration. NowI will revert to my original theme.


Failure to Meditate on Contact While TouchingPhassa phussa sati muh,piya nimia manasi karoto.Sraacio vedeti, taca ajjhossa tihati.

Having felt a touch, one loses mindfulness. Geing involved in theaaction of it, one feels the onset of desire that ies to imbibe it.

Tactile sensations arise everywhere in the body. When a living bodytouches an inanimate object, sensations arise. When the limbs touch oneanother, the same happens. These are external sensations. There are alsointernal sensations, which oen pass unnoticed. For instance, we are usuallyunaware of the fact that blood comes into contact with muscular tissuesembedded in the body. Those unaccustomed to mindfulness cannot take fullnote of the external sensations, let alone the internal ones. So when youpractise meditation casually, you are liable to be forgetful of the Dhamma,and will be aware of beau when you see it. It is natural to hanker aerpleasurable sense-objects; and when they are found you forget to note thearising and passing away of the aggregates. At times you may feel repugnantto disagreeable sights that you see or disturbing sounds that you hear. Thisalso makes you forgetful of the Dhamma.

The ve constituents of pleasure invite the delements for unmindfulpersons. Their way of life is geared to the enjoyment of pleasure. When theysleep on so beds, they feel comfortable. The latest fashions give themluxurious feelings of touch. Even when doing their daily exercise routine forhealth they are doing so delighting in the thought that it will conibute tosensual enjoyment and beau. All these delights and pleasures are theproduct of their surroundings, which worship the ve constituents of thesenses. They generate delements. Nibbna remains remote om those witha liking for delements. Hence the following stanza:

Tassa vahanti vedan, anek phassasambhav; Abhijjh ca vihesca, cimasspahaati. Evamcinato dukkha, r nibbna vuccati.

A multitude of passions such as covetousness and rage,springing om contact, torments one who takes a rm hold ofit, with the result that his mind becomes burdened with vexation.Therefore, nibbna remains remote om one who would rathercarry the burden of suering than practise meditation.

Meditating on Contact Brings Nibbna Near 35

All that has been said about seeing, hearing, etc., applies to touching. Whatshould be emphasised is that by bowing to the wishes of the delements oneaccumulates a mass of suering, which keeps one remote om nibbna.

Meditating on Contact Brings Nibbna Near

Na so rajjati phassesu, phassa phussa patissato;Viraacio vedeti, taca njjhossa tihati.

Passion remains undeveloped in him who recollects withmindfulness the contact that he has felt. Thus eed om lust,he refuses to imbibe it.

While meditating on standing, you may feel tired or sti, painful or itchy.When these unpleasant sensations appear you must concenate on the sourceof discomfort and note the nature of the tiredness, pain, etc. As you arecontemplating on feelings, this is vedannupassan. When you note heat, youare contemplating the element of heat (tejo), and when you touch a hard orrough surface you are noting the earth element (pathav). At times you mayfeel that the element of motion merges with the element of heat. You shouldnote this also. You should note every physical action: bending or setchingyour arms or legs, tilting your head backwards or forwards, opening orshuing your eyes, or blinking. As you dress, wash, or take a shower, theremay be many kinds of movements. Even when you urinate or evacuate yourbowels, you must not forget to note the manifestation of the element of motion.With practice, you may be able to note even speaking when you speak.

Our injunction to note the rising and falling of the abdomen is helpful forbeginners in meditation. If one likes one may take up noting the respiration,but in our experience those who began by noting the respiration ended upwith contemplating the abdominal movements, and realised the Dhamma.We insuct meditators who have developed their concenation to extendthe practice to noting everything occurring at the six sense-doors. When lustis abandoned through this practice of mindfulness, you will have no desireto grasp at tactile sensation, or to indulge in it.

Yathssa phusato phassa, sevato cpi vedana;Khyati nopacyati, eva so carat sato.

On touching a contact, a meditator just touches it and just feelsthat he to

Documents

A Discourse on the Malukyaputta Sutta