Mostly when we start to practice we want to attain, to achieve, to know and to see, but we don't yet know what it is we're going to achieve or know. There was once a disciple of mine whose practice was plagued with confusion and doubts. But he kept practicing, and I kept instructing him, till he began to find some peace. But when he eventually became a bit calm he got caught up in his doubts again, saying, ''What do I do next?'' There! The confusion arises again. He says he wants peace but when he gets it, he doesn't want it, he asks what he should do next!
So in this practice we must do everything with detachment. How are we to detach? We detach by seeing things clearly. Know the characteristics of the body and mind as they are. We meditate in order to find peace, but in doing so we see that which is not peaceful. This is because movement is the nature of the mind.
When practicing samādhi we fix our attention on the in and out-breaths at the nose tip or the upper lip. This ''lifting'' the mind to fix it is called vitakka, or ''lifting up.'' When we have thus ''lifted'' the mind and are fixed on an object, this is called vicāra, the contemplation of the breath at the nose tip. This quality of vicāra will naturally mingle with other mental sensations, and we may think that our mind is not still, that it won't calm down, but actually this is simply the workings of vicāra as it mingles with those sensations. Now if this goes too far in the wrong direction, our mind will lose its collectedness, so then we must set up the mind afresh, lifting it up to the object of concentration with vitakka. As soon as we have thus established our attention vicāra takes over, mingling with the various mental sensations.
Now when we see this happening, our lack of understanding may lead us to wonder: ''Why has my mind wandered? I wanted it to be still, why isn't it still?'' This is practicing with attachment.
Actually the mind is simply following its nature, but we go and add on to that activity by wanting the mind to be still and thinking, ''Why isn't it still?'' Aversion arises and so we add that on to everything else, increasing our doubts, increasing our suffering and increasing our confusion. So if there is vicāra, reflecting on the various happenings within the mind in this way, we should wisely consider... ''Ah, the mind is simply like this.'' There, that's the one who knows talking, telling you to see things as they are. The mind is simply like this. We let it go at that and the mind becomes peaceful. When it's no longer centered we bring up vitakka once more, and shortly there is calm again. Vitakka and vicāra work together like this. We use vicāra to contemplate the various sensations which arise. When vicāra becomes gradually more scattered we once again ''lift'' our attention with vitakka.
The important thing here is that our practice at this point must be done with detachment. Seeing the process of vicāra interacting with the mental sensations we may think that the mind is confused and become averse to this process. This is the cause right here. We aren't happy simply because we want the mind to be still. This is the cause - wrong view. If we correct our view just a little, seeing this activity as simply the nature of mind, just this is enough to subdue the confusion. This is called letting go.
Now, if we don't attach, if we practice with ''letting go''... detachment within activity and activity within detachment... if we learn to practice like this, then vicāra will naturally tend to have less to work with. If our mind ceases to be disturbed, then vicāra will incline to contemplating Dhamma, because if we don't contemplate Dhamma the mind returns to distraction.
So there is vitakka then vicāra, vitakka then vicāra, vitakka then vicāra and so on, until vicāra becomes gradually more subtle. At first vicāra goes all over the place. When we understand this as simply the natural activity of the mind, it won't bother us unless we attach to it. It's like flowing water. If we get obsessed with it, asking ''Why does it flow?'' then naturally we suffer. If we understand that the water simply flows because that's its nature then there's no suffering. Vicāra is like this. There is vitakka, then vicāra, interacting with mental sensations. We can take these sensations as our object of meditation, calming the mind by noting those sensations."
~Ajahn Chah
Sammā Samādhi - Detachment Within Activity
Cultivating Samatha & Upekkha Successfully
- christopher:::
- Posts: 1327
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Re: Cultivating Samatha & Upekkha Successfully
Very nice description here from Ajahn Chah on the interplay of vitakka and vicāra. I've been experimenting with the approach since yesterday and it's working nicely...
"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
Re: Cultivating Samatha & Upekkha Successfully
Chris, you wont like this, but that kind of practice goes infinately better with hands-on instruction. The likelihood of " practise-drift" is very high without it.
- christopher:::
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- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:56 am
Re: Cultivating Samatha & Upekkha Successfully
Thanks for your advice Peter, very good advice. Today i discovered that there may infact be some assistance available in my city. I will look into it.PeterB wrote:Chris, you wont like this, but that kind of practice goes infinitely better with hands-on instruction. The likelihood of " practise-drift" is very high without it.
"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
- christopher:::
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Re: Cultivating Samatha & Upekkha Successfully
Just returned from a morning session with a Sri Lankan monk/scholar staying here in our city. He led us through a metta meditation, anapana-sati and walking meditation. He spoke mostly in Japanese but it was still great. Having Ben's insights (sent by PM) & Ajahn Chah's instructions to work with on my own ahead of time was very helpful.
It was great to make contact. Thank you Ben, and also Peter (for the nudge).
It was great to make contact. Thank you Ben, and also Peter (for the nudge).
"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
Re: Cultivating Samatha & Upekkha Successfully
It was a pleasure Christopher! And I am very happy for you with regards to your morning session with Bhante today!
with mudita
Ben
with mudita
Ben
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road
Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725
Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global Relief • UNHCR
e: [email protected]..
Re: Cultivating Samatha & Upekkha Successfully
Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu ! I am pleased for you Chris.
- christopher:::
- Posts: 1327
- Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2009 12:56 am
Re: Cultivating Samatha & Upekkha Successfully
Thank you Paul & Ben, for all your excellent advice and support.
"As Buddhists, we should aim to develop relationships that are not predominated by grasping and clinging. Our relationships should be characterised by the brahmaviharas of metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), and upekkha (equanimity)."
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009
~post by Ben, Jul 02, 2009