What is the core meditation towards parinibbana?

The cultivation of calm or tranquility and the development of concentration
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Strive4Karuna
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What is the core meditation towards parinibbana?

Post by Strive4Karuna »

Is the watching of the breath the most important one? If I'm correct it leads to the insight of impermanence, seeing falling and rising and the loss of the defilement of self into becoming a Sotapanna.
culaavuso
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Re: What is the core meditation towards parinibbana?

Post by culaavuso »

Strive4Karuna wrote:If I'm correct it leads to the insight of impermanence, seeing falling and rising and the loss of the defilement of self into becoming a Sotapanna.
Anapanasati seems to be described as a practice that can lead all the way to clear knowing and release in MN 118.
MN 118: Anapanasati Sutta wrote: This is how mindfulness of in-&-out breathing is developed & pursued so as to be of great fruit, of great benefit.
...
This is how mindfulness of in-&-out breathing is developed & pursued so as to bring the four frames of reference to their culmination.
...
This is how the four frames of reference are developed & pursued so as to bring the seven factors for awakening to their culmination.
...
This is how the seven factors for awakening are developed & pursued so as to bring clear knowing & release to their culmination.
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mikenz66
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Re: What is the core meditation towards parinibbana?

Post by mikenz66 »

Hi Strive4Karuna,

Most descriptions of awakening are very general:
"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, the monk directs and inclines it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. He discerns, as it has come to be, that 'This is stress... This is the origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the way leading to the cessation of stress... These are mental fermentations... This is the origination of fermentations... This is the cessation of fermentations... This is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.'
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
The most detailed description of actual technique is probably the Anapanasati suttas such as the one culaavuso mentions above. However, there are many meditation objects described in suttas such as Satipatthana Sutta and others:
"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 ... .than.html
My impression is that particular objects, such as breath, are not the point. The point is seeing characteristics and processes such as anicca, dukkha, anatta, and the various permutations of dependent origination. Objects such as the breath, and the various objects in the Satipatthana Sutta and others seem to be just particular examples.

However, I do sometimes see statements to the effect that anapanasati was the method that the Buddha used on the eve of his awakening. I would be interested to see a sutta reference for that. Various suttas describing the Buddha's awakening are given in In the Buddha's Words, Section II.3, but I see no mention of anapanasati in those.

:anjali:
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daverupa
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Re: What is the core meditation towards parinibbana?

Post by daverupa »

mikenz66 wrote:However, I do sometimes see statements to the effect that anapanasati was the method that the Buddha used on the eve of his awakening. I would be interested to see a sutta reference for that.
Perhaps such lines as e.g. SN 54.8:
"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.
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
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mikenz66
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Re: What is the core meditation towards parinibbana?

Post by mikenz66 »

Thanks Dave!

Here's a search on things that were done "When I was an unawakened Bodhisatta..."

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=site% ... S:official

:anjali:
Mike
Spiny Norman
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Re: What is the core meditation towards parinibbana?

Post by Spiny Norman »

I think this sutta gives an important clue - it appears early in the Chapter of the Twos, in the Anguttara Nikaya:

Tranquillity and Insight
Two things, O monks, partake of supreme knowledge. What two? Tranquillity and insight.
If tranquillity is developed, what benefit does it bring? The mind becomes developed. And
what is the benefit of a developed mind? All lust is abandoned.
If insight is developed, what benefit does it bring? Wisdom becomes developed. And what is
the benefit of developed wisdom? All ignorance is abandoned.
A mind defiled by lust is not freed; and wisdom defiled by ignorance cannot develop. Thus,
monks, through the fading away of lust there is liberation of mind; and through the fading away
of ignorance there is liberation by wisdom.
(2:2.10)
Buddha save me from new-agers!
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