Dharma and Vipassana

shanyin

Did Siddhartha Gotama Buddha teach Vipassana? I have never read a sutra about this but I know that people practice meditation on impermanence, and I have heard it is necessary for enlightenment.

Is there a sutra you can show me?

Thanks!

pegembara

Anapanasati Sutta: Mindfulness of Breathing-vipassana

"Mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, when developed & pursued, is of great fruit, of great benefit. Mindfulness of in-&-out breathing, when developed & pursued, brings the four frames of reference to their culmination. The four frames of reference, when developed & pursued, bring the seven factors for awakening to their culmination. The seven factors for awakening, when developed & pursued, bring clear knowing & release to their culmination.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html

"Monks, whoever develops & pursues mindfulness immersed in the body encompasses whatever skillful qualities are on the side of clear knowing. Just as whoever pervades the great ocean with his awareness encompasses whatever rivulets flow down into the ocean, in the same way, whoever develops & pursues mindfulness immersed in the body encompasses whatever skillful qualities are on the side of clear knowing.

"In whomever mindfulness immersed in the body is not developed, not pursued, Mara gains entry, Mara gains a foothold.

Kayagata-sati Sutta: Mindfulness Immersed in the Body-samatha
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.119.than.html

Jeffrey

I think that buddha learned every state of meditation available and mastered it. His teachers told him that he had accomplished the holy. But he knew that he had not overcome suffering because all of his meditations were contrived states and reality had not changed when he stood up.

I believe he then (after a lady gave him some milk because he was starving) sat in the way (like in the same direction of dispassion edited) that he originally sat in the garden as a boy. Simple natural state.

It was then that he finally attained enlightenment.

DhammaDhatu

"[13] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in focusing on inconstancy.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out focusing on inconstancy.' [14] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in focusing on dispassion [literally, fading].' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out focusing on dispassion.' [15] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in focusing on cessation.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out focusing on cessation.' [16] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in focusing on relinquishment.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out focusing on relinquishment.'

"[2] Remaining mindful in this way, he examines, analyzes, & comes to a comprehension of that quality with discernment. When he remains mindful in this way, examining, analyzing, & coming to a comprehension of that quality with discernment, then analysis of qualities as a factor for awakening becomes aroused. He develops it, and for him it goes to the culmination of its development.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html

"And what qualities are to be developed through direct knowledge? Tranquillity & insight: these are the qualities that are to be developed through direct knowledge.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.149.than.html

"There are these five clinging-aggregates where a monk should stay, keeping track of arising & passing away (thus): 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance. Such is feeling... Such is perception... Such are fabrications... Such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.' As he stays keeping track of arising & passing away with regard to these five clinging-aggregates, he abandons any conceit that 'I am' with regard to these five clinging-aggregates. This being the case, he discerns, 'I have abandoned any conceit that "I am" with regard to these five clinging-aggregates.' In this way he is alert there.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.122.than.html

"And what is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to the ending of the effluents? There is the case where a monk remains focused on arising & falling away with reference to the five clinging-aggregates: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its passing away. Such is feeling, such its origination, such its passing away. Such is perception, such its origination, such its passing away. Such are fabrications, such their origination, such their passing away. Such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.' This is the development of concentration that, when developed & pursued, leads to the ending of the effluents.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an04/an04.041.than.html

372. There is no meditative concentration for him who lacks insight, and no insight for him who lacks meditative concentration. He in whom are found both meditative concentration and insight, indeed, is close to Nibbana.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.25.budd.html

"In this way he remains focused internally on the body in & of itself, or externally on the body in & of itself, or both internally & externally on the body in & of itself. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to the body, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to the body, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to the body. Or his mindfulness that 'There is a body' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself.

"In this way he remains focused internally on feelings in & of themselves, or externally on feelings in & of themselves, or both internally & externally on feelings in & of themselves. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to feelings, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to feelings, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to feelings. Or his mindfulness that 'There are feelings' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on feelings in & of themselves.

"In this way he remains focused internally on the mind in & of itself, or externally on the mind in & of itself, or both internally & externally on the mind in & of itself. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to the mind, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to the mind, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to the mind. Or his mindfulness that 'There is a mind' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on the mind in & of itself.

"In this way he remains focused internally on mental qualities in & of themselves, or externally on mental qualities in & of themselves, or both internally & externally on mental qualities in & of themselves. Or he remains focused on the phenomenon of origination with regard to mental qualities, on the phenomenon of passing away with regard to mental qualities, or on the phenomenon of origination & passing away with regard to mental qualities. Or his mindfulness that 'There are mental qualities' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance. And he remains independent, unsustained by (not clinging to) anything in the world. This is how a monk remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves with reference to the five hindrances.

/B][B]2[/B][B "Furthermore, the monk remains focused on mental qualities in & of themselves with reference to the five clinging-aggregates. And how does he remain focused on mental qualities in & of themselves with reference to the five clinging-aggregates? There is the case where a monk [discerns]: 'Such is form, such its origination, such its disappearance. Such is feeling... Such is perception... Such are fabrications... Such is consciousness, such its origination, such its disappearance.'

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.than.html

277. "All conditioned things are impermanent" — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.

278. "All conditioned things are unsatisfactory" — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.

279. "All things are not-self" — when one sees this with wisdom, one turns away from suffering. This is the path to purification.

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.20.budd.html

DhammaDhatu

Jeffrey wrote: »

I believe he then (after a lady gave him some milk because he was starving) sat in the way that he originally sat in the garden as a boy. Simple natural state. It was then that he finally attained enlightenment.

People have a tendency to believe many things. Buddha's enlightenment was via dispassion:

"And is it fitting to regard what is inconstant, stressful, subject to change as: 'This is mine. This is my self. This is what I am'?"

"No, lord."

"Seeing thus, Rahula, the instructed disciple of the noble ones grows disenchanted with the eye, disenchanted with forms, disenchanted with consciousness at the eye, disenchanted with contact at the eye. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the eye as a mode of feeling, a mode of perception, a mode of fabrication, or a mode of consciousness: With that, too, he grows disenchanted.

"He grows disenchanted with the ear...
"He grows disenchanted with the nose...
"He grows disenchanted with the tongue...
"He grows disenchanted with the body...

"He grows disenchanted with the intellect, disenchanted with ideas, disenchanted with consciousness at the intellect, disenchanted with contact at the intellect. And whatever there is that arises in dependence on contact at the intellect as a mode of feeling, a mode of perception, a mode of fabrication, or a mode of consciousness: With that, too, he grows disenchanted. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate. Through dispassion, he is fully released. With full release, there is the knowledge, 'Fully released.' He discerns that 'Birth is depleted, the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this world.'"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.147.than.html

shanyin

pegembara wrote: »

Anapanasati Sutta: Mindfulness of Breathing-vipassana



http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.118.than.html



Kayagata-sati Sutta: Mindfulness Immersed in the Body-samatha
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.119.than.html

so are you saying anapanasati is vipassana?

Jeffrey

Is dispassion fabricated or natural? I'm not arguing that he was already enlightened as a boy. I said 'like'.

DhammaDhatu

Jeffrey wrote: »

Is dispassion fabricated or natural?

Neither. Dispassion is the ending of any form of craving.

:smilec:

jinzang

so are you saying anapanasati is vipassana?

What gets called vipassana in modern Theravada Buddhism is anapanasati, though the word also has other senses, for example, in the Path of Purification.

pegembara

shanyin wrote: »

so are you saying anapanasati is vipassana?

Anapanasati is not vipassana.

Anapanasati is mindfulness of breathing which is only an object of meditation and is used for both vipassana and samatha. It is a skillful means of calming or tranquilizing the mind

I used the term vipassana in reference to the sutta with regards to the 4 foundations of mindfulness which is vipassana.

Ānāpānasati (Pali; Sanskrit: ānāpānasmṛti), meaning 'mindfulness of breathing' ("sati" means mindfulness; "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation), is a fundamental form of meditation taught by the Buddha. According to this teaching, classically presented in the Ānāpānasati Sutta,[1] practicing this form of meditation as a part of the Noble Eightfold Path leads to the removal of all defilements (kilesa) and finally to the attainment of nibbāna (nirvana).
In both ancient and modern times, anapanasati by itself is likely the most widely used Buddhist method for contemplating bodily phenomena.[2] Traditionally, anapanasati is used as a basis for practicing meditative concentration (samadhi) until it reached the state of full absorption (jhana). It is the same state, reached by the Buddha during his quest for Enlightenment.[3] In the Zen tradition, anapanasati is practiced with zazen or shikantaza (in the Soto tradition). Anapanasati can also be practised with other traditional meditation subjects including the four frames of reference[4] and mettā bhāvanā.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anapanasati

DhammaDhatu

shanyin wrote: »

so are you saying anapanasati is vipassana?

Anapanasati is certainly vipassana and the perfection of vipassana.

The Buddha said:

Mindfulness with in-&-out breathing developed & pursued bring the four frames of reference to their culmination.

The four frames of reference developed & pursued bring the seven factors for awakening to their culmination.

The seven factors for awakening developed & pursued bring clear knowing & release to their culmination.

DhammaDhatu

shanyin wrote: »

so are you saying anapanasati is vipassana?

Anapanasati is two preliminary practises and fourteen experiences of the stream enterer (or in short, sixteen steps).

Steps 3, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15 and 16 are 100% vipassana.

In terms of the effect upon the mind, it can be said for convenience:

Tetrad 1 is 75% samatha and 25% vipassana.

Tetrad 2 is 50% samatha and 50% vipassana.

Tetrad 3 is 75% vipassana and 25% samatha.

Tetrad 4 is 100% vipassana.

DhammaDhatu

pegembara wrote: »

Anapanasati is mindfulness of breathing which is only an object of meditation and is used for both vipassana and samatha. It is a skillful means of calming or tranquilizing the mind

Pegembara

It is not possible to be mindful of the breathing because mindfulness is recollection or memory rather than awareness.

The mind can be aware of the breathing but not mindful of it.

In the teaching of the Buddha, mindfulness means to keep right view in the mind.

Anapanasati means mindfulness with breathing.

When the mind is mindful of right view, the breathing in & out arise as the sign of right practise.

I used the term vipassana in reference to the sutta with regards to the 4 foundations of mindfulness which is vipassana.

The four foundations of mindfulness are not vipassana but vipassana can be found within them.

The four foundations of mindfulness are the objects one uses to apply mindfulness, namely, to not regard them as "I" and "mine" and to not regard them with "covetousness and distress" [liking & disliking].

Vipassana means clear seeing. It is to see directly, without thinking or analysis, the nature of conditionality, impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and not-self in the meditation object.

For example, in this forum, there have been some threads where members have declared their undying love for their satisfaction in their jhanas. They loved their jhanas so much, they would allow their legs to be cut off for it.

Here, there has been no vipassana.

We can compare this to the Venerable Sariputta's experience of jhana.

"There was the case where Sariputta — quite secluded from sensuality, secluded from unskillful qualities — entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure born of seclusion, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. Whatever qualities there are in the first jhana — directed thought, evaluation, rapture, pleasure, singleness of mind, contact, feeling, perception, intention, consciousness, zeal [chanda], decision, persistence, mindfulness, equanimity & attention — he ferreted them out one after another.

Known to him they arose, known to him they remained, known to him they subsided.

He discerned, 'So this is how these qualities, not having been, come into play. Having been, they vanish.' He remained unattracted & unrepelled with regard to those qualities, independent, detached, released, dissociated, with an awareness rid of barriers. He discerned that 'There is a further escape' and pursuing it there really was for him.

MN 111

DhammaDhatu

pegembara wrote: »

Ānāpānasati (Pali; Sanskrit: ānāpānasmṛti), meaning 'mindfulness of breathing' ("sati" means mindfulness; "ānāpāna" refers to inhalation and exhalation),

Anapanasati means mindfulness with breathing.

Funny how most Buddhists cannot perceive this and accept wrong definitions via blind faith.

is a fundamental form of meditation taught by the Buddha.

Not really. Anapanasati is basically the whole path. Each of the last fourteen experiences begins with the words: "He trains himself", meaning the three trainings of sila, samadhi and panna.

The Anapanasati Sutta states it brings knowledge & liberation to their fulfilment.

According to this teaching, classically presented in the Ānāpānasati Sutta,<SUP id=cite_ref-0 class=reference>[1]</SUP> practicing this form of meditation as a part of the Noble Eightfold Path

Not really. It is synonomous with the path.

leads to the removal of all defilements (kilesa) and finally to the attainment of nibbāna (nirvana).

Indeed.

Traditionally, anapanasati is used as a basis for practicing meditative concentration (samadhi) until it reached the state of full absorption (jhana).

Anapanasati is a complete practise. The last tetrad is 100% vipassana therefore is incorrect to say anapanasati is purely samadhi training.

Anapanasati can also be practised with other traditional meditation subjects including the four frames of reference<SUP id=cite_ref-3 class=reference>[4]</SUP> and mettā bhāvanā.

Anapanasati is the four frames of reference. In fact, it is the perfection of the four frames of reference.

The Satipattana Suttas are merely extensive lists of various practices, often disconnected, where as the Anapanasati Sutta are sixteen experiences which flow into eachother, each arising after the other.

The Anapanasati Sutta describes the stream of practice whereas the Satipattana Suttas are merely lists of various teachings of the Buddha and probably in themselves not even spoken by the Buddha.

pegembara

"Ko Hla Myint," the Sayādaw replied, "You have not studied the scriptures with the necessary attention to detail. It is true that the Buddha-to-be attained pubbenivasanussati-abhiñña (Knowledge of Former States of Being) and dibbacakkhu abhiñña (the Divine Eye of Omniscient Vision) in the first and second watches of the night through ānāpānasati. But in the third and last watch of the night, the Buddha-to-be was no longer absorbed in ānāpānasati, but had turned his great intellect to the doctrine of paticcasamuppāda, or Dependent Origination. ‘Through ignorance are conditioned the sankhāras, the rebirth producing volitions or kamma-formations, and so on.’ Then, just before the break of day, while meditating on the five khandhas, the physical and mental phenomena of existence, the Buddha-to-be attained arahatta-magga, arahatta-phala, and the Omniscience of the Buddha, the Supremely Enlightened. Thus, Buddhahood was won not through ānāpānasati, but through mindfulness on the physical and mental phenomena of the five khandhas."

“Is ānāpānasati the same in essence as vipassanā and meditating on rising and falling, and able to lead to magga-phala and nibbāna?”

In answering these questions, Panditārāma Sayādaw explained the teachings of the Mahāsi Sayādaw as follows.

Ānāpānasati can take two directions. If the meditator strives to be mindful of the form or manner of the in-breath and the out-breath, then it is samatha meditation and leads to one-pointedness of mind. On the other hand, if the meditator notes the sensation of the in-breath and out-breath as it moves and touches, then it is vipassanā meditation.

http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Other/Questions/questions.html

http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Ledi/Anapanasati/anapanasati.html#FourthTetrad

DhammaDhatu

pegembara wrote: »

"Ko Hla Myint," the Sayādaw replied, "You have not studied the scriptures with the necessary attention to detail. It is true that the Buddha-to-be attained pubbenivasanussati-abhiñña (Knowledge of Former States of Being) and dibbacakkhu abhiñña (the Divine Eye of Omniscient Vision) in the first and second watches of the night through ānāpānasati. But in the third and last watch of the night, the Buddha-to-be was no longer absorbed in ānāpānasati, but had turned his great intellect to the doctrine of paticcasamuppāda, or Dependent Origination. ‘Through ignorance are conditioned the sankhāras, the rebirth producing volitions or kamma-formations, and so on.’ Then, just before the break of day, while meditating on the five khandhas, the physical and mental phenomena of existence, the Buddha-to-be attained arahatta-magga, arahatta-phala, and the Omniscience of the Buddha, the Supremely Enlightened. Thus, Buddhahood was won not through ānāpānasati, but through mindfulness on the physical and mental phenomena of the five khandhas."

Pegembara

The sankhara in Dependent Origination is the breathing in & out (kaya sankhara), as well as the vaca sankhara (vitakka & vicara) and the citta sankhara (perception & feeling).

I have already suggested, Anapanasati is mindfulness with breathing rather than mindfulness of breathing.

The first tetrad of Anapanasati is contemplation of the body aggregate with breathing, the second tetrad is contemplation of the feeling aggregate with breathing, the third tetrad is comtemplation of the mind aggregate (sankhara khanda) with breathing and the fourth tetrad is contemplation of the consciousness aggregate (its constant arising & passing) with breathing.

The Burmese do not instruct Anapanasati in full because they have never practised it. They do not even understand it.

I would recommend considering what Dhamma Dhatu has to say on the subject rather than the Sayādaws.

DhammaDhatu

“Is ānāpānasati the same in essence as vipassanā and meditating on rising and falling, and able to lead to magga-phala and nibbāna?”

In answering these questions, Panditārāma Sayādaw explained the teachings of the Mahāsi Sayādaw as follows.

Ānāpānasati can take two directions. If the meditator strives to be mindful of the form or manner of the in-breath and the out-breath, then it is samatha meditation and leads to one-pointedness of mind. On the other hand, if the meditator notes the sensation of the in-breath and out-breath as it moves and touches, then it is vipassanā meditation.

Mahāsi Sayādaw has misunderstood here. Mahāsi Sayādaw developed his own rigid meditation technique, trusting the abdomen back & forth, which is not in accord to the Buddha's instruction on Anapanasati.

It is best Mahāsi Sayādaw stick to his own meditation technique rather than comment on things he does not understand.

DhammaDhatu

Ānāpānasati can take two directions. If the meditator strives to be mindful of the form or manner of the in-breath and the out-breath, then it is samatha meditation and leads to one-pointedness of mind. On the other hand, if the meditator notes the sensation of the in-breath and out-breath as it moves and touches, then it is vipassanā meditation.

It is not possible to be mindful of the in-breath and the out-breath because mindfulness is recollection or memory. It is only possible to be mindful with breathing.

The Buddha instructed as follows, in the MN 117 and MN 118, which are included together in the suttas:

One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to enter & remain in right view: This is one's right mindfulness.

MN 117

"Now how is mindfulness of in-&-out breathing developed & pursued so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit?

"There is the case where a monk, having gone to the wilderness, to the shade of a tree, or to an empty building, sits down folding his legs crosswise, holding his body erect and setting mindfulness to the fore [lit: 'in front of one's face'].

MN 118

The mindfulness here is unrelated to the breathing.

When the mind is established in right mindfulness, the breathing in & out arise arise as the object of meditation simply & naturally because the breathing in & out is the grossest sense object.

So when a practitioner strives to be mindful of the form or manner of the in-breath and the out-breath, as the Sayadaw is saying, this is wrong mindfulness (miccha sati) and not Anapanasati.

It is wrong mindfulness because it is rooted in craving rather than in letting go.

DhammaDhatu

pegembara wrote: »

Thus, Buddhahood was won not through ānāpānasati, but through mindfulness on the physical and mental phenomena of the five khandhas."

Pegembara

The Sayadaws regard Dependent Origination as occuring over three life-times. As such, they have not discerned it directly.

Below is a discourse of the Buddha that shows how Anapanasati is related to Dependent Origination.

However, one must bear in mind the sankhara of Dependent Origination are the kaya, vaca & citta sankhara (rather than the "kamma or volitional formations" the Sayadaws are instructing).

"There are, monk, these six quietenings. In him who has attained the first absorption, speech is quietened. Having attained the second absorption, thought-conception and discursive thinking I]vaci sankhara[/I are quietened. Having attained the third absorption, rapture I]citta sankhara[/I is quietened. Having attained the fourth absorption, inhalation and exhalation I]kaya sankhara[/I is quietened. Having attained the cessation of perception and feeling, perception and feeling I]citta sankhara[/I are quietened. In a taint-free monk greed is quietened, hatred is quietened, delusion [ignorance] is quietened."

Rahogata Sutta

So Anapanasati is directly related to sankhara nirodha and avicca nirodha.

The Buddha saw why does not consciousness see clearly? Why does ignorant sense contact occur?

The answer was found via Anapanasati, in that these sankhkara conditioned by ignorance cloud the mind.

DhammaDhatu

pegembara wrote: »

Then, just before the break of day, while meditating on the five khandhas....

The sutta is as follows:

‘sabbakāyapaṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sabbakāyapaṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

Kāyesu kāyaññatarāhaṃ, bhikkhave, evaṃ vadāmi yadidaṃ – assāsapassāsā.

[3] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to all bodies. He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.' [4] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in calming the bodily fabricator. He trains himself, 'I will breathe out calming the bodily fabricator.'

I tell you, monks, that this — the in-&-out breath — is classed as a body among bodies...

The term 'sabbakayo' means "all bodies". In Pali, the term 'sabbe' means 'all'. The Buddha has instructed the in-&-out breath is classed as a body (kaya) among bodies (kaya).

The breathing in & out is the kaya sankhara, which means 'fabricator' of the physical body.

When the breathing in & out is refined, long & calm, the physical body will be the same. When the breathing in & out is short, agitated & coarse, the physical body will be the same.

This is why the breathing in & out is the kaya sankhara, namely, the bodily fabricator (rather than the bodily fabrication).

Step 3 of Anapanasati is the contemplation of the first khanda, how the breath conditions (cause & effect) the body. Step 3 is not contemplating the "whole body of the breath".

The Sayadaw thinks Anapanasati is just mental samatha. As such, the Sayadaw is confused.

DhammaDhatu

pegembara wrote: »

Then, just before the break of day, while meditating on the five khandhas....

To continue on Steps 5, 6 & 7 of Anapanasati, which are the contemplation of the second khanda:

‘‘‘Pītipaṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘pītipaṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘sukhapaṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘sukhapaṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘cittasaṅkhārapaṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘cittasaṅkhārapaṭisaṃvedī passasissāmī’ti sikkhati; ‘passambhayaṃ cittasaṅkhāraṃ assasissāmī’ti sikkhati, ‘passambhayaṃ cittasaṅkhāraṃ passasissāmī’ti sikkhati.

"[5] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to rapture.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to rapture.' [6] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to pleasure.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to pleasure.' [7] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in sensitive to mental fabricator. He trains himself, 'I will breathe out sensitive to mental fabricator.' [8] He trains himself, 'I will breathe in calming mental fabricator.' He trains himself, 'I will breathe out calming mental fabricator.'

Perceptions & feelings are mental fabricators.

MN 44

With contact as a requisite condition, there is feeling. What one feels, one perceives (labels in the mind). What one perceives, one thinks about. What one thinks about, one complicates. Based on what a person complicates, the perceptions & categories of complication assail him/her with regard to past, present, & future ideas cognizable via the intellect.

MN 18

Rapture & happiness are the objects of meditation in Anapanasati. Rapture & happiness are vedana. These are the second khanda. Rapture & happiness are the citta sankhara.

But the Syadaws think vedana is physical pain. Why? They have never gone beyond it it seems.

pegembara

DD,

I appreciate your kind attention. I will ponder on these points.

DhammaDhatu

pegembara wrote: »

Thus, Buddhahood was won not through ānāpānasati, but through mindfulness on the physical and mental phenomena of the five khandhas."

Pegembara

I must disagree further with the Sayadaw here.

I have stated previously, Anapanasati is not a generic breathing meditation, such as is taught in hatha yoga.

Admittedly, the Buddha practised a form of breathing meditation before his enlightenment, as advised in the Dipa Sutta:

"I, too, monks, before my awakening, when I was an unawakened bodhisatta, frequently remained with this abiding. When I frequently remained with this abiding, neither my body was fatigued nor were my eyes, and my mind, through lack of clinging/sustenance, was released from fermentations.

But not all breathing meditation is exactly Anapanasati, as advised in the Arittha Sutta

"There is that mindfulness with in-&-out breathing, Arittha. I don't say that there isn't. But as to how mindfulness with in-&-out breathing is brought in detail to its culmination, listen and pay close attention. I will speak."

The Anapanasati that was taught by the Buddha after his enlightenment is different to forms of breathing meditation taught before his enlightenment because what is regarded as mindfulness are the application of the enlightenment teachings.

Anapanasati is "mindfulness of abandoning craving & grapsing whilst breathing in & out".

Anapanasati is "mindfulness of dependent origination whilst breathing in & out".

It develops right concentration, which the Buddha described in SN 48.9 as "one pointed of mind with release as its sole object" (vossaggarammanam karitva). Vossagga means 'tossing back' or relinquishment, arammana means mind object.

Kind regards

DD

pegembara

DD,

Seems like the Burmese reliance on the Abhidhamma and the Visuddhimagga rather than the sutta is the source of the differences here.

Ānāpānasati can take two directions. If the meditator strives to be mindful of the form or manner of the in-breath and the out-breath, then it is samatha meditation and leads to one-pointedness of mind. On the other hand, if the meditator notes the sensation of the in-breath and out-breath as it moves and touches, then it is vipassanā meditation. The element of wind or motion (vayo-dhātu) is rūpa or matter, while the awareness or consciousness of the sensation is nāma or mind. Therefore, ānāpānasati can be considered as vipassanā, and can lead to high levels of insight wisdom. However, in the Visuddhimagga, in the section on kāyānupassana, or mindfulness of body, fourteen objects of meditation are discussed, and further subdivided into objects for samatha and vipassanā meditation. In the Visuddhimagga, ānāpānasati is presented as an object of samatha meditation. Consequently, if we are to instruct meditators to develop ānāpānasati as part of vipassanā meditation, we will be inviting much unwanted and unwarranted criticism and controversy. And neither Mahāsi Sayādaw or myself would want to argue here that the Visuddhimagga, the rightly venerated classic, is at fault here.

DhammaDhatu

Visuddhimagga is at odds with the suttas plus with meditation.

For example, I recall, for vitakka & vicara, the Visuddhimagga used the analogy of striking a bell (applied) and letting the bell ring (sustained).

Real vitakka is like opening one's hand rather than punching with a fist.

Vitakka 'opens' awareness and vicara sustains that open awareness.

In other words, vitakka applies non-attachment and vicara sustains non-attachment.

The Buddha's right mindfulness is non-attachment.

This is Anapanasati.

As for samadhi, an empty mind is the supreme samadhi, the supremely focused firmness of mind. The straining and striving sort of samadhi isn't the real thing and the samadhi which aims at anything other than non-clinging to the five khandas is micchasamadhi (wrong or perverted samadhi). You should be aware that there is both micchasamadhi and sammasamadhi (right or correct samadhi). Only the mind that is empty of grasping at and clinging to 'I' and 'mine' can have the true and perfect stability of sammasamadhi. One who has an empty mind has correct samadhi.

Heartwood