Questions And Answers

Series 3

By Sayædaw Dr. Sunanda

First Edition: 3000 copies (Apr 2010)

The book is for free distribution only.

You may copy and redistribute any texts from this book,
provided that you abide by these two basic principles:

1. You may not sell any texts copied or derived from this
book.
2. You may not alter the content of any texts copied or
derived from this book. (You may, however, reformat
them)

Buddhist Hermitage Lunas

Lot 297, Kampung Seberang Sungai,
09600 Lunas, Kedah, Malaysia
www.buddhisthermitagelunas.org
Tel:012-4284811

1
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Introduction
The contents of this book were transcribed from the Dhamma
talks and Questions and Answers session given by Sayædaw Dr.
Sunanda from January to June 2009 at the Buddhist Hermitage
Lunas, Malaysia. It is published here with some amendments.

The first book was published in conjunction with the 2009

Vesak celebration while the second book was prepared
specially for the 2009 Ka¥hina celebration. This Series 3 with
14 titles is specially compiled for 2010 Vesak celebration.

For Buddhists who sincerely wish to progress well and

smoothly in their spiritual practice, they should follow the
gradual training prescribed by the Buddha. This training is in
the sequence order of Søla (morality), Samædhi (Concentration)
and Paññæ (Wisdom). There are two types of meditation i.e.
Samatha and Vipassanæ. Vipassanæ meditation is the loftiest
and most meritorious practice. It is the only practice that can
lead to the realisation of Nibbæna.

As such, the contents of this book are compiled in accordance

with the gradual training. We put the general topics like respect,
asking for forgiveness, generosity (Dæna) and morality (Søla)
first. After the reader has gained some understanding on the
benefits of performing Dæna (generosity) and doing other good
deeds, he or she can read about the 31 realms and practising
meditation.

Finally, the reader can read more on Vipassanæ practice like

how to practise mindfulness in daily activities, Dependent
Origination and cause and effect, contemplation of Five
Aggregates at the six sense doors and seven stages of
purification.

We hope the Dhamma knowledge in this book will inspire you

2
to strive harder in your spiritual practice. By practising
Saddhamma (true Dhamma), may you attain the eternal bliss of
Nibbæna in the near future.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

Our Heartfelt Gratitude

Special thanks to Sayædaw Dr. Sunanda for his tireless work in
the past 6 years to propagate the Dhamma at the Buddhist
Hermitage Lunas, Malaysia.

He is praised for his skilful way in delivering the Dhamma and

for his Mettæ, compassion and patience. We, yogis are very
grateful to have him answering all kinds of questions. He
patiently listened to our meditation problems and queries on
Dhamma. He tried his best to understand our mind and answer
them to our satisfaction.

Having him as our meditation teacher to guide us on our

spiritual journey, we have more faith in the Dhamma and also
the courage and energy to strive on in our practice.

We transcribed his Dhamma talks and Questions & Answers

session not only for meditators but also for other devotees and
truth-seekers so that they can learn from him as well.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Acknowledgement
Special thanks to the people involved in this transcription
project.

General editor : Sayælay Cælæ

English editing: Vajira
English transcription: Alex Theam Beng Lee

And all devotees and donors who have contributed to and

supported this project.

May all beings rejoice in the

merits of this Dhamma-Dæna.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

*The Gift Of Dhamma Surpasses All Gifts*

*Sabba Dænam Dhammadænam Jinati*

4
 The Biography Of
Sayædaw Dr. Sunanda

Venerable Sayædaw Dr. Sunanda was formerly a medical

doctor by the name of Dr. U Than Naung. Bhante is of
Chinese-Burmese descent and was born on 29 September 1933
at Ahtaung Village, Kyonpyaw township, Ayeyarwaddy
division, Myanmar. His parents who were devout Buddhists
enrolled him for his primary education and Buddhist studies at
the village monastery.

From 1947 to 1951, he attended St. John’s Diocesan School in

Yangoon (Rangoon). He enrolled for higher education in 1951
and was admitted to the Institute of Medicine. In 1958, he was
conferred with the Bachelor of Medicine and the Bachelor of
Surgery.

He served in various hospitals for ten years before furthering

his studies in Dermatology and Venereology at the Vienna
University, Austria. He returned to Myanmar as a Consultant
Dermato-Venereologist at the Rangoon General Hospital for
another eight years from 1969 to 1977.

During his service in 1972, he started to practise Vipassanæ

meditation at the Mahæsī Meditation Centre under the guidance
of the Most Venerable Mahæsī Sayædaw U Sobhana Mahæthero
and his chief disciples, as a part time meditator in the evenings.

5
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

In 1977, he resigned from the government service to devote

more time to Vipassanæ meditation and the propagation of the
Dhamma. He assisted meditation teachers of the Mahæsī
Meditation Centre as an interpreter and translator for foreign
meditators.

On 29 September 1995, he renounced the household life and

was ordained as a monk at the Sæsanamalavisodhanī Sīmæ in
the Mahæsī Meditation Centre. He was given the name
‘Sunanda’ which means “a delightful son”. Later, Venerable
Sunanda accompanied the meditation masters as a translator
and interpreter on foreign missions to Europe, USA and Asia.

In 2004, Venerable Sunanda was invited to the Buddhist

Hermitage Lunas, Kedah as its resident meditation teacher.
Bhante is a sincere, dedicated, active and approachable
Dhammaduta.

6
 Table of Contents
1. Why do we have to respect our parents?.............................. 10
2. Expecting benefits from Dæna and performing Dæna within
16
your means ……................................. …………………….
3. Observing Five Precepts ...................................................... 20
4. Morality (Søla) ..................................................................... 24
5. Asking for forgiveness ........................................................ 36
6. 31 Realms and practising meditation................................... 40
7. How does meditation affect health?...................................... 46
8. How does mindfulness help us to deal with illness, old age
50
and death and also to obtain ultimate freedom?...................
9. Three kinds of defilements and three ways to deal with
58
them......................................................................................
10. Lotus simile.......................................................................... 66
11. How to practise mindfulness in daily activities?.................. 74
12. Dependent origination and cause and effect......................... 82
13. Contemplation of Five Aggregates at the six sense doors.... 92
14. Seven stages of purification and ten imperfections in the
104
Vipassanæ practice ...............................................................
Appendix 1：Mind-matter................................................... 119
Appendix 2 : Four Great Elements, 12 Bases…………...
120
(Æyatanas)
Appendix 3 : Summary of Four Foundations of…………..
121
Mindfulness (Satipa¥¥hæna)

7
Questions and Answers – Series 3

8
 Why do we have to respect our parents?

To one ever eager to revere and serve the elders,

these four blessings accrue:

long life and beauty, happiness and power.

abhivādanasīlissa,

niccaṃ vuḍḍhāpacāyino,

cattāro dhammā vaḍḍhanti,

āyu vaṇṇo sukhaṃ balaṃ.

Dhammapada 109

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Why do we have to respect our parents?

The Buddha has expounded on the 38 blessings in the Ma³gala

Sutta. One of them is Garavo or respect.

We should respect or revere those persons or objects that are

worthy of reverence like the Triple Gems namely the Buddha,
his teachings the Dhamma and his disciples known as the
Sa³gha. Why should we respect and revere the Triple Gems?
This is because the Triple Gems have infinite virtues or
attributes.

Out of these infinite attributes, the Buddha has formulated his

attributes into 9 major attributes as recorded as “Itipiso
Bhagava, Araham…”.

The second of the Triple Gems is the Buddha’s teachings or

Dhamma. The Dhamma too has infinite attributes or virtues
which the Buddha has concisely formulated into 6 main virtues
beginning with “Svækkhæto Bhagavatæ Dhammo,
Sandi¥¥hiko...”.

The third of the Triple Gems is the Sa³gha. The Sa³gha are the
disciples of or followers or propagators of the Buddha’s
teachings. They too have infinite virtues or attributes. Out of
these the Buddha has formulated into 9 virtues beginning with
“Suppa¥ipanno Bhagavato Sævakasa³gho.....”.

We should also respect our parents. The Buddha says that

parents too have infinite virtues. One of them is our parents are
like Brahmas. In the 31 realms of existence, the uppermost 20
realms are occupied by Brahmas. Brahmas are the shining ones.

Parents are like Brahmas

Why should the Buddha describe parents like Brahmas? The
shining ones or Brahmas live their whole life radiating the four
10
 Why do we have to respect our parents?

sublime states of mind known as the Brahma-vihæra.

They are:
1. Mettæ or loving kindness
2. Karu¼æ or compassion
3. Muditæ or altruistic joy
4. Upekkhæ or equanimity.

Just like the Brahmas, our parents throughout their whole life
radiate these four sublime states of mind towards their children.
That is why the Buddha extols our parents and compares them
with Brahmas or the shining ones.

When a child is conceived in the mother’s womb, the mother

starts to radiate the first sublime state of mind – metta or loving
kindness to her child, “May the child in my womb be free from
all kinds of illness, suffering and deformity. May he be able to
come out of the womb and join us in this world happily,
peacefully and healthily.” That is how our parents especially
the mother is like Brahma radiating or developing this sublime
state of mind that is loving kindness or metta to her child from
the time of conception.

The mother has to sacrifice her freedom and comfort by

avoiding hasty, dangerous actions and she cannot do things as
she wishes. She cannot eat as she wishes and can only consume
suitable food to protect the child in her womb. This is also
another act of loving kindness. Nowadays the mother has to
consult the obstetrician or the child delivering doctor or to
attend the maternity clinic to obtain enough information about
pregnancy and delivery. She has to safeguard her fetus from
danger. These are all acts of loving kindness towards her
unborn child.

After the safe delivery, the newborn baby is totally helpless

and cannot take care of itself. He only knows how to cry when
he is uncomfortable or hungry. So the parents especially the

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

mother becomes compassionate and sympathetic towards the

baby. She has to attend to all his needs like feeding, cleaning
up his excrement and bathing. When the baby cries, she feels
pity or compassion. This is the second sublime state of mind,
compassion or karu¼æ. A mother has to sacrifice her comfort to
protect, to look after, to cherish and to nourish the helpless
newborn baby.

Later the baby starts to grow up. He starts to recognise his

surroundings and his family. He learns to call ‘papa, mama’,
walking, running, talking and eating by himself. His parents are
happy to see the child learning and growing up well. When the
child is of school going age, they send him to school. When the
child does well in school, they are happy for his success and
prosperity. Here parents are developing the third sublime state
of muditæ or altruistic joy.

When the child gradually grows into young adulthood, he is

educated with worldly knowledge and later goes out to earn a
living. He becomes successful, well-to-do and comfortable in
life. His parents become peaceful and happy. At this time, the
parents are developing the fourth sublime state of mind –
upekkhæ or equanimity.

That is why the Buddha expounds on our parents’ first attribute

that they are like Brahmas who live in the higher 20 realms of
the thirty-one planes of existence.

Parents are our foremost teachers

The second attribute of our parents is Pubbæcariya meaning
they are the first teacher in our life. Normally the child is sent
to school only after the age of five. Before the age of five, from
the moment the child can notice or begin to learn, the parents
are their teachers. Parents teach them life-skills like how to
behave oneself, how to eat, how to sleep, how to dress oneself,
how to associate with good friends and how to refrain from evil
friends. When the child grows up to a marriageable age, the
12
 Why do we have to respect our parents?

parents will arrange for a suitable marriage partner and help

him settle into married life.

In many ways the parents educate their children so that they

won’t commit silly mistakes that can complicate their life.
According to the Buddha’s teaching, the right way to behave is
to have good qualities or conduct and to abstain from evil
conduct. The parents try to teach their children what they know.
Whatever they cannot teach, they send their children to school.

They also send their children to monastery or Dhamma class so

that the children can learn what is right, what is wrong, what is
good and what is bad. This is why the Buddha extols our
parents as the foremost teacher or pubbæcariya.

These two qualities of our parents are enough reasons for us to

revere and to respect our parents. Then how should we honour
our parents?

Five Obligations of children towards their parents

The Buddha has expounded the five obligations or duties of
children towards their parents.
1. The children must nurture and look after their parents with
the reciprocal sublime states of mind which their parents have
conferred upon them when they were young. So children
should take care of their ageing and disabled parents by seeing
to their material and mental needs.

2. The second duty of children is to take care of the family

enterprise, family responsibility and family burdens which the
parents have been shouldering, especially when the parents are
no longer able to do so.

3. The third duty of children towards their parents is that they

must conduct themselves in such a way to be worthy of their
inheritance. Many children today only know how to expect
inheritance from their parents but they never try to honour or

13
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

take care of their parents. How can children be worthy of their

inheritance? They should not just wait to receive their
inheritance from their parents as inheritance will come one day.
Instead they should be filial with kind and compassionate heart
by taking care of their ageing and disabled parents.

4. The fourth duty is that the children must maintain the family
tradition, family faith, family belief and family principles.
Nowadays due to some untoward reasons like economy or
weak faith, the children change the family tradition and
customs. So the children must maintain the family tradition,
belief and culture to honour their parents.

5. The fifth duty is that children should honour their parents

after their death. Children should do meritorious deeds of dæna
or generosity or other good deeds and share these merits with
their departed parents. So this is how the children must honour,
respect and revere their parents.

Conclusion
What benefits do we get by honouring objects or persons
worthy of respect like the Triple Gems, our parents, our
teachers or our elderly relatives? The Buddha has said that you
will gain four very precious gifts.
a. Longevity (æyu). In every future rebirth, you will live till a
ripe old age and not die young.
b. Beauty (va¼¼o). In every future rebirth you will be very
beautiful.
c. Happiness (sukha). In every future rebirth you will be reborn
in happy or pleasurable existences and
d. Strong and healthy (bala). You will be healthy and strong in
every existence.

Having understood the infinite attributes of the Triple Gems

and our parents and also the benefits of respect, may you all
always honour, respect and revere them.

14
Expecting benefits from Dæna and performing Dæna within your means

Health is the most precious gain

and contentment the greatest wealth.

A trustworthy person is the best kinsman,

Nibbana the highest bliss.

ārogyaparamā lābhā,

santuṭṭhiparamaṃ dhanaṃ.

vissāsaparamā ñāti,

nibbānaṃ paramaṃ sukhaṃ.

Dhammapada 204

15
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Expecting benefits from Dæna and performing Dæna

within your means
Question:
Normally people perform dæna because of its benefits. The
usual comment is to give within your means. These two
statements are ambiguous. Please advise.

Answer:
Although Buddhists are inclined to do generosity or dæna,
many of them expect some benefits in return. They do dæna
with expectation. Actually the main spiritual essence behind
dæna or generosity is to fulfil the Nekkhamma pæramø or
perfection of renunciation. When you want to do dæna, you
have to renounce the craving for your possession or practise
letting go. For example, you have to give your hard-earned
money or your cherished properties to others or you have to
share your things with needy persons.

Besides practising the renunciation pæramø, you are cultivating

many good mental qualities when you do dæna. You are also
fulfilling other perfections (pæramø) as well. For example,
unless you have loving kindness or mettæ to the recipients, you
cannot give anything especially to a hateful person. Another
example is a person who keeps pets. He has to feed them food
and take care of them. He has to spend some money on them
like buying pet food and he does it out of compassion. So
without mettæ or compassion, we cannot do dæna or let go of
our craving for our own things. Hence, by doing dæna, you are
actually fulfilling some or all of the ten pæramøtas like
renunciation, mettæ and compassion.

That is why whenever you do dæna or generosity, instead of

emphasising on the benefits, you should think of the good
qualities of perfections or pæramøtas. Whether you expect
results or not, you are sure to experience good results. This is
16
 Expecting benefits from Dæna and performing Dæna within your means

according to the Law of Kamma; good begets good, bad begets

bad. If you taste salt, it will certainly taste salty. You don’t
have to wish for it. If you eat chilly, you don’t have to wish
‘may the chilly be hot and spicy’. It will certainly be hot and
spicy. Kamma is just like this natural law, you will get the
corresponding results to the actions done.

When you do good deed, you get good result or good benefit.
That is why if you want spiritual progress and deliverance from
sa§særic suffering, you should always incline your mind to the
perfection of the ten pæramøs. Then your good deeds can be a
support to your realisation of Nibbæna. That is the correct
attitude to adopt when doing Dæna.

The second part of the question concerns the usual comment to

give within your means. This is not the usual comment. It was
the Buddha’s admonishment to the rich man, Anæthapi¼ðika.
The Buddha preached to him about right livelihood (sammæ
jøvita). It means you live within your means. You divide your
income into four portions. Supposing a person gets four
thousand dollars a month. He uses two thousand (or two
portions) to re-invest in his business to increase his income and
to accumulate more wealth.

One portion is set aside for emergency use. Since birth we are
prone to all kinds of problems and troubles like sickness,
accident, legal complications and so on. We have a Burmese
saying, ‘one may not live a hundred years but one can meet a
hundred thousand problems in life’. When we meet problems,
we need money to solve them. That is why the Buddha
admonishes us to set aside a quarter of our income (one portion)
for emergency needs. We only use the remaining portion (a
quarter of income) for sustenance of life like buying food,
transportation and other daily needs. From this last quarter, we
use some money to do dæna or generosity for our future
happiness.

17
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Conclusion
As human beings, we have to plan for the happiness of our
present life. We must also be far-sighted enough to plan for the
happiness of our future lives. That is why we have to
accumulate meritorious deeds of dæna, søla or bhævanæ so that
we enjoy good results in the future.

However, you cannot do generosity beyond your means like

donate all your money to other people. You need to maintain
your life and support your family. If you lack financial support,
you will be tormented by worries and complications. These
could affect your cetanæ or intention to do dæna.

That is why out of a quarter of your income, you can use some
of it to do dæna. Suppose you have a bowl of rice. Then you see
someone coming for alms round. Even if you give one
tablespoon of rice, it is considered as dæna. Please remember
that the most important thing while doing dæna is your cetanæ
or intention. The quantity, whether big or small, is not that
important.

By having the correct understanding of doing dæna, may you

keep on accumulating good deeds. May your good deeds be a
support for the attainment of Nibbæna in the near future.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

18
 Observing Five Precepts

By oneself is evil done;

By oneself is one defiled.

By oneself is evil left undone.

By oneself is one made pure.

Purity and impurity depend on oneself;

no one can purify another.

attanā Va kataṃ pāpaṃ,

attanā saṃkilissati.

attanā akataṃ pāpaṃ,

attanāva visujjhati.

suddhī asuddhi paccattaṃ,

nāñño aññaṃ visodhaye

Dhammapada 165

19
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Observing Five Precepts

Question:
Can one observe only part of the Five Precepts or observe the
Five Precepts in stages? For example, one still kills small
creatures but can observe the other precepts.

Answer:
The Five Precepts should be observed together because this is
the basic essential rule of morality (Søla). Though it is called
the five precepts, it is regarded as Ariyakanta-søla or the
precepts that are cherished and adored by all noble persons.
These five are a complete set.

If one is not pious or religious or leading an undisciplined life,

one cannot keep all the five precepts. In this case, one can keep
four or three precepts or even one precept. Of course one will
not get the full benefits of the five precepts. However, one will
gain some benefits from keeping some of the precepts even if
one cannot keep all the five precepts. The reason is the law of
Kamma is very exact. Good action will lead to good result.
Even if you observe one precept, you get the corresponding
result or benefit.

Depending on your aspiration, whether you want to have

ordinary enlightenment, to be a Pacceka Buddha or to be a
Sammæsambuddha, you have to fulfil the corresponding type of
Søla.

There are three types of Søla.

1. Ordinary morality (Søla)
2. Supreme morality (Upasøla)
– observing Søla by sacrificing part of your limbs or internal
organs
3. Ultimate morality (Paramattha Søla)
– observing Søla by sacrificing one’s life.
20
 Observing Five Precepts

In the case of an ordinary Arahant who is also called the

disciple of the Buddha (Sævaka Buddha), he only needs to fulfil
the ordinary Søla Pæramø. If one aims to be a Pacceka Buddha,
one has to fulfil Upasøla. If one aims to be a Sammæsambuddha
like our Lord Buddha Gautama, one has to fulfil the
Paramattha Søla. He has to fulfil 30 Pæramø or 10 Pæramøs by
threefold.

Sometimes one cannot observe all the five precepts because of

the nature of their work. For example, a doctor is asked by his
dying patient, ‘Am I going to die? Is there any hope?” The
doctor cannot say “You are going to die soon.” He will say,
“Don’t worry you will be all right. You will get well soon.” In
worldly life, it is difficult to keep truthfulness sometimes
because we are put in an awkward situation.

However, if a person is bent on keeping the true and pristine

purity of moral virtues, he will never break his precepts for any
reasons. Depending on the person’s maturity of virtues, he can
observe the five precepts stage by stage.

Generosity (Dæna) and Morality or Virtues (Søla) are the basic

practice for Buddhists. Based on them, one can continue to
fulfil the other perfections (pæramøs) and practise meditation.

An Ariya or Noble One has four virtues. They are total faith
and confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sa³gha and the
permanent observance of the Five Precepts for the rest of his
life. Even at the risk of life or bribery, he will never renounce
his faith in the Triple Gems nor transgress his Five Precepts.

So we can see the importance of keeping Five Precepts as part

of the morality practice.

21
Questions and Answers – Series 3

22
 Morality (Søla)

Conscientiousness is the state of deathlessness,

negligence is the state of death.

The conscientious ones do not die;

those, who are negligent, are as if dead.

appamādo amatapadaṃ,

pamādo maccuno padaṃ,

appamattā na mīyanti,

ye pamattā yathā matā.

Dhammapada 21

23
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Morality (Søla)
In the Dhamma talk just now, Sayadaw told us about a man
who practised morality or the Pañca Søla very strictly for the
rest of his life. That was why his name was Pañca-søla
Samædæniya Bhikkhu. After his death, he was reborn in the
celestial or human realms and never fell into the four woeful
states. After many aeons, during our Lord Buddha’s time, he
became an arahant. The question is: “Why did he take so long
to be an arahant after observing the five precepts so strictly?”

The second part of the question: “Now I am meditating. How

long will it take for me to get enlightenment?”

Answer:
Here the question looks simple but quite interesting. There are
four stages of enlightenment. An arahant is in the final stage.
Enlightened ones are called “Buddha” in Pæ¹i. It means the
awakened one.

There are three types of Buddha.

1. Sammæsambuddha- Perfectly Enlightened One
2. Pacceka Buddha - Independently Enlightened One
3. Sævaka Buddha- Disciple of the Sammæsambuddha like
an arahant.
To gain enlightenment or Buddhahood, you need to perfect
your morality, concentration and wisdom though perfections
(pæramø).

What are these Pæramøs? There are 10 types.

1. Dæna or generosity
2. Søla- morality
3. Nekkhamma –renunciation
4. Paññæ –wisdom
5. Viriya - effort or energy
6. Khantø or patience, forbearance or tolerance.
24
 Morality (Søla)

7. Adi¥¥hæna -determination or resolution

8. Sacca - truthfulness or honesty or sincerity
9. Mettæ – loving-kindness
10.Upekkhæ - equanimity

There are 3 levels of Pæramø, namely ordinary Pæramø, superior

Pæramø and ultimate Pæramø. To be a Sævaka Buddha or an
arahant, one needs to practise ordinary Pæramø only. To be a
Pacceka Buddha, one needs to practise twofold Pæramø or
superior Pæramø. To be a Sammæsambuddha or a fully
enlightened one, one needs to practise threefold Pæramøs or
ultimate Pæramø .

That means for an ordinary enlightened one or a Sævaka

Buddha, one needs to fulfil only 10 ordinary perfections or
Pæramøs. To be a Pacceka Buddha, one needs to fulfil 20
Pæramøs (10 Pæramø times twofold). To be a Sammæsambuddha,
one needs to fulfil 30 Pæramøs (10 Pæramø times threefold).

So we know that to be an arahant, we need to fulfil only 10

ordinary perfections. Let’s us consider the question about
Thera Pañca-søla Samædæniya Bhikkhu. In one of his past lives,
he emphasised the practice of only one perfection that was Søla
or morality perfection. Due to his morality virtue, he was
reborn for innumerable times in the human and deva realms.
He was endowed with all the life amenities and pleasure. Why
did he not gain enlightenment earlier? Probably, he did not
practise much meditation.

Without practising Vipassanæ Bhævanæ or insight meditation,

one cannot get enlightenment. The Buddha in the Mahæ
Satipa¥¥hæna Sutta said, “Practising the four foundations of
mindfulness is the only way to gain enlightenment”.

That was why even though he observed strict morality, he

existed for so long in sa§særa or the rounds of birth and death
until our Lord Buddha’s time when he became an arahant.

25
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Craving
Many ordinary worldly beings who are not informed of the
Dhamma have minds which are always overwhelmed by
mental defilements like greed, hatred and delusion. In the Four
Noble Truths, craving or Samudaya Sacca is the cause of
Dukkha Sacca or this life existence. The Buddha has classified
craving or ta¼hæ into three kinds:
1. Kæma ta¼hæ – craving for sensual pleasures,
2. Bhava ta¼hæ – craving for existence,
3. Nibhava ta¼hæ – craving for non-existence.

Even when people are doing good deeds, they always aspire to
gain something. This is due to craving or ta¼hæ. For example,
when they perform Dæna or service, they usually aspire to gain
wealth or pleasurable rebirths as humans or devas. That is why
they are bestowed with this gift of pleasurable rebirths. They
will enjoy these pleasurable existences but they fail to develop
their wisdom or to develop further the other perfections. That is
why they take a long time to become enlighten.

Aspiration for Nibbæna

As such, it is very important that when we do good deeds, we
should always aspire for Nibbæna. We always instruct devotees
to recite “Ida§ me punna§ Nibbænassa paccayo hotu”. This is
making a resolution to strengthen our willpower to gain
deliverance from all sufferings. We do not need to pray for
good results for our good deeds because the law of Kamma is
very just and impartial. We will get results for our volitional
deeds whether we want them or not. Like if you taste sugar it
will be sweet. If you taste honey it will be sweet. If you bite
chilly it will be hot and spicy. Likewise if you do good actions,
you get good results. If you do bad actions, you suffer bad
consequences.

That is why the best thing is to aspire for deliverance from all
sa§særic suffering that is Nibbæna. So you do good deeds with
26
 Morality (Søla)

the intention that you will gain Nibbæna in the shortest possible
time. That is why we monks always bless the devotees with
“may you all attain Nibbæna in the shortest possible time”. If
you aspire for Nibbæna, you will get it faster.

Time to gain enlightenment

Now the second part of the question is “Now I am meditating.
How long will it take for me to get enlightenment?” The
Buddha himself has given the answer in the conclusion of the
Mahæ Satipat¥¥hæna Sutta (the discourse of Great Foundation of
Mindfulness). If you practise according to the letter and spirit
of the given instructions in this sutta, that is the four
foundations of mindfulness, at the most seven years you can
gain enlightenment.

If you don’t have seven years to practise, you can practise for
six years, five years, four years, three years, two years, one
year or six months, five months, four months, three months,
two months, one month or two weeks. Even if you practise for
7 days, depending on how you perfect yourself in your practice,
you can gain enlightenment.

A lot of people say that they are meditating. How to meditate

correctly? There are 37 factors of enlightenment
(Bodhipakkhiya) for you to perfect your practice. You also
need to fulfil your ten Pæramøtas (perfections). If you can
perfect yourself with these ten Pæramøtas and practise the four
foundations of mindfulness according to the letter of
instruction, one can gain within this period of time, provided
one has the past perfection and the present perfection.

During the Buddha’s time, many people gained enlightenment

just by listening to the Dhamma talk. Actually, when they were
listening to the Dhamma talk, they were also meditating.
Depending on their Pæramøs, some attained within a short time
and some took a longer time.

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Different types of Søla

Now let me explain in more details about this morality or Søla.
If you want to practise perfectly, you must have a true or
correct understanding of this subject. There are different types
of Søla or moral discipline. In general it is divided into:
1. Layman Søla – code of discipline for ordinary Buddhist
disciples in worldly life for example the five precepts
2. Bhikkhu Søla- code of discipline for those who join the
Sa¼gha order

The Buddha prescribes for lay disciples to practise the 5

precepts (pañca søla) for life. If possible, you can observe eight
precepts to fulfil your Pæramøtas by attending meditation
retreats or you can observe them on religious occasions or
auspicious days. However if you can strictly observe the 5
precepts, you can also achieve Søla Visuddhi or purification of
moral virtue.

We, human beings, need to have two good limbs to carry out
our daily activities. So also in perfecting the perfections for
deliverance from sa§særic suffering, generosity (Dæna) and
morality (Søla) constitute the two factors which support us to
achieve all wholesome deeds. Dæna and Søla are so noble that
they become the basic practice for all other good qualities.

Let us study perfections now. To practise other perfections, we

need to establish ourselves in Dæna and Søla. They are related
and mutually supportive. When you observe the five precepts,
the first precept is to abstain from killing or harming living
beings. By not killing, you are giving a chance for that creature
to survive. You are actually offering a gift of life.

This is called in Pæ¹i Jøvita Dæna or Ayu Dæna. At the same

time you are fulfilling other Pæramøtas as well. Out of loving-
kindness ( mettæ) or compassion (karu¼æ), you abstain from
killing or harming other living beings. This is how Dæna and
28
 Morality (Søla)

Søla form the basic practice for all good qualities or kusala
deeds.
There is another classification of Søla in our Buddhist practice
namely
1. Væritta Søla - practice of morality through avoidance or
abstinence of evil actions.
2. Cæritta Søla - practice through conduct.

Væritta Søla (Practice through Abstinence)

There are two sub-divisions of Væritta Søla or virati. They are
sampatta virati and samædæna virati. Sampatta virati means
when one encounters a chance of doing evil or transgressing
moral discipline, one will automatically abstain from it because
of one’s good mental attitude and good will.

1. Sampatta virati
To understand this sampatta virati, let us study an example
given in the commentaries. A few hundred years after the
Buddha’s final Parinibbæna, in Sri Lanka, where the Buddha’s
teaching was flourishing, there lived a family in a village. The
father had died earlier leaving two sons. They were named
Mahæ Cakkana (Elder Cakkana) and Cþla Cakkana (younger
Cakkana). These two brothers worked in the farm and looked
after their mother. One day the mother fell sick and ended up
in bed. They consulted the local physician. Probably the
mother was suffering from malnutrition and debility, so the
physician prescribed rabbit soup for the patient.

The elder Cakkana sent his younger brother to catch a rabbit in

the nearby forest. On the way, he saw a rabbit. The rabbit was a
timid creature. Out of fright, it ran into a bush and was caught
in the creepers. When this junior Cakkana caught the rabbit, it
was shaking with fear and cried. He felt compassionate and a
noble thought occurred in him. “Oh! how unfair to kill such a
creature for the purpose of saving my mother.” So he cut off
the creeper to free the rabbit. He went back empty-handed.

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

When he arrived home, the elder brother queried him. When he

told his brother that he let the rabbit go because it was unfair to
kill a being to save another being, the elder brother scolded him.
Then he went near his mother and touched her. Later he made
an asseveration of truth. He said, “Since the time of my
knowledgeable age until now, I have never taken another
creature’s life intentionally. If my statement is true, may my
mother be well and happy.” Because of his truthful statement,
his mother became well.

From the above story, we can see how noble his conduct was.
Out of his good will, good heart and compassion, he let the
creature go free. He was also practising the perfection of
truthfulness. This abstinence from killing is called sampatta
virati.

As for modern examples, we sometimes read about them in the

newspaper. For example, somebody left a purse on the bus or
taxi car. This taxi driver did not take the money but out of
truthfulness, he went to make a report at the police station.
They searched for the address and returned the money to the
owner. That too is sampatta virati. Out of good-will and loving
kindness, one automatically abstains from doing evil. These
are the perfection of one’s moral virtues.

2. Samædæna virati
The second type is samædæna virati. The example given by the
commentary also happened at about the same time in a village
in Sri Lanka. There was a family who was very pious. The
family members invited a bhikkhu to come for alms dæna
everyday. The head of the family earned his living by
collecting forest products, cutting fire-wood and selling them.
One day as he was about to go to the forest, a venerable monk
came to his house. On that day he took the Five Precepts from
the monk. While he was climbing a hill, a boa constrictor
caught hold of him.

30
 Morality (Søla)

A boa constrictor is a very large and strong snake. It doesn’t

bite its victim but coils round the victim, squeezes him until he
suffocates to death. Only then it swallows the victim.

That person had a very sharp sword with him to cut wood.
When the boa constrictor was coiling around him and as he
was about to chop it, he suddenly remembered that he had
taken the Five Precepts from the Venerable who came for alms
round. He thought, “Since I have taken the Five Precepts from
the respected bhikkhu, I shall not transgress them, so let the
boa constrictor kill me’.

Actually taking precepts means you are making a vow or

promise that you are going to observe these precepts the whole
day. That was why he threw away the weapon. Interestingly,
the boa constrictor uncoiled, left him alone and went back into
the forest. So that type of virati or abstinence is called
samædæna virati. Because of his pious faith and out of respect
for the honourable bhikkhu, he abstained from killing.

We can learn a moral lesson out of the two examples above.

These two actions involved the fulfilling of the ten perfections
especially dæna and søla perfections. Other wholesome actions
are based on these two perfections. When done with real
sincerity and truthfulness, our dæna and søla become really
powerful. They can save a person’s life from fatal accident or
even death. The kusala deeds or good deeds can always be
victorious over evil.

The important thing is to be sincere, truthful and to cultivate in

our heart these four sublime states of loving kindness ( mettæ),
compassion (karu¼æ), altruistic joy (muditæ) and equanimity
(upekkhæ). All wholesome actions are rooted in these sublime
or auspicious noble qualities of the mind. They are wonderfully
effective and protect the mind from bad consequences.

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Cæritta Søla (Practice through conduct)

The second type of Søla is Cæritta Søla. Cæritta means practice
of moral discipline through one’s conduct. The Buddha has
prescribed for us to practise certain responsibilities or duties.
We, humans are the most civilized creatures on this planet, so
we have social obligations to each other even though it is not a
written law.

In the Sigælovæda Sutta, the Buddha prescribes many social

obligations in society like the five duties or obligations of
parents towards the children and the five duties of children
towards their parents. Other duties are between husband and
wife, employers and employees, government/monarch and
citizens, teachers and pupils, and friends to friends. The
Buddha has admonished us to practise these social obligations.

Other classifications of Søla

Another type of classification about Søla is Pæ¥imokkha
Sa§vara Søla. These are definite adoptive disciplinary rules for
monks and novice (sæma¼era) who join the Sa³gha order to
follow.

The second one is Æjøva Pærisuddhi Søla or proper livelihood

disciplinary rules. For those who are striving for deliverance,
they must have pure livelihood and must avoid the five
improper livelihoods.

The third is Paccaya Sannissita Søla or discipline regarding

requisites. When we monks use requisites or allowable items
like food, clothing, dwellings and medicines, we must use them
or take them with reflection.

The fourth is Indriya Sa§vara Søla or guarding your six sense

doors. When you are mindfully noting all the objects that arise
through the six senses, you are actually guarding your sense
doors. So these are the four moral disciplines one has to
32
 Morality (Søla)

observe if one aspires for enlightenment and deliverance from

sa§særic suffering.

Meditators are taken as Bhikkhus or Bhikkhunis because you

are all striving to be delivered from sa§særic suffering
(sufferings in the cycle of rebirth and death) or defilements
(kilesa). That was why when the Buddha gave a Dhamma talk,
he always addressed the audience as Bhikkhave (O bhikkhus).
Thus anyone whether a monk or a lay person, who is striving to
gain deliverance from sa§særic suffering is regarded as a
Bhikkhu. So a meditator should try to observe the above
mentioned morality or disciplines.

Conclusion
The Five Precepts are sufficient for a lay disciple to observe in
this worldly life. Based on them, one can practise meditation.
However, one should try to observe the precepts and safeguard
one’s morality as best as one can. This is because by observing
morality, you are also fulfilling your other perfections or
pæramøs. When your pæramøs ripen in the future, you will attain
Nibbæna.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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Questions and Answers – Series 3

34
 Asking for forgiveness

Therefore, follow the Noble One, who is steadfast, wise,

learned, dutiful and devout.

One should follow only such a man, who is truly good and
discerning,

even as the moon follows the path of the stars.

tasmā hi dhīrañca paññañca bahussutañca,

dhorayha sīlaṃ vatavantam ariyaṃ.

taṃ tādisaṃ sappurisaṃ sumedhaṃ,

bhajetha nakkhatta pathaṃva candimā.

Dhammapada 208

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Asking for Forgiveness

Question:
1. How can one be sure that one has forgiven oneself and
others?
2. Is forgiveness essential in the practice of meditation?

Answer:
You can be sure that you have forgiven yourself because
normally people are egoistic or selfish. We always forgive
ourselves. It is something automatic because we love ourselves
most and the tendency of worldly beings is to forgive
themselves.

The Buddha says that you must not just forgive yourself but
you must see your mistake or misdeed. Then you have to admit
to yourself and make a determination or resolution not to make
the same mistake again.

If you have wronged another person, it is better to admit your

mistake and to apologise to that person. To be forgiven by
others is important. However, normally it is difficult to forgive
other people.

The second part of the question is “Is forgiveness essential in

the practice of meditation?” Yes, forgiveness is essential. If
one does not forgive one's misdeed or other’s misdeed, one can
be obsessed by thoughts that are called nøvara¼a or hindrances.
These 5 hindrances or nøvara¼as can obstruct or hinder the
progress of meditation. They are:
1) Kæmaræga – Sensual passion
2) Vyæpæda – ill will
3) Thøna-middha – Sloth and torpor
4) Uddhacca-kukkucca –restlessness and worry
5) Vicikicchæ- Sceptical doubt

36
 Asking for forgiveness

Uddhacca means restlessness with the mind wandering here

and there. Kukkucca means worry or anxiety or guilty
conscience. Due to this guilty conscience, one can have
obsessive thoughts like “Oh! I should not have done that, I
should not have said that”.

A person who is going to practise meditation or is in the

middle of a meditation retreat should clear this hindrance from
his mind. That is why one should forgive oneself and others so
that one’s mind will be clear, calm and be able to focus on
meditation objects.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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Questions and Answers – Series 3

38
 31 Realms and practising meditation

The thirst of a person of careless actions

grows just like a creeper.
He flows from existence to existence,
just like a monkey in the forest desiring fruits.

manujassa pamattacārino,

taṇhā vaḍḍhati māluvā viya.

so plavatī hurā huraṃ,

phalamicchaṃva vanasmi vānaro.

Dhammapada 334

39
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

31 Realms and Practising Meditation

According to the Buddha’s teachings, there are 31 planes of
existence of beings. There are the four lower realms and from
bottom upwards are the hell realm, the asura or demon realm,
the peta realm and then the animal realm. Above these four
realms is the fifth realm or the human world. The six celestial
or deva realms are above the human realm. Above these are
the twenty Brahma realms or the realms of the shining ones.
All together there are thirty-one planes of existence.

Only beings in the human, Deva and Brahma realms can

meditate. The beings in the four lower worlds cannot meditate.

Four lower worlds

Beings are reborn in the four lower realms due to their past bad
Kamma or unwholesome actions, where they suffer most of the
time. This is especially true of beings in the hell realm. They
are tormented by suffering all the time. Most of the beings in
the four lower worlds are not mentally developed, so they
cannot practise meditation at all.

As you all know, animals have to follow the survival jungle

law where big and strong animals prey on the smaller and
weaker ones. They are always creating bad kamma by killing
other beings for food. They also don't have the wisdom or
intelligence to understand Dhamma. They cannot even practise
simple meritorious deeds so meditation is completely beyond
them.

Six Deva worlds

The six celestial realms above the human realm are just the
exact opposite of the four lower realms. These beings are
called devas. Most of the time, they enjoy pleasurable
experiences of life due to their past good or wholesome actions
of dæna or generosity, søla or morality and bhævanæ or
40
 31 Realms and practising meditation

meditation. That’s why most of them cannot practise

meditation.

We can compare the deva world to our human realm too. For
example in the rich developed countries, many of the people
cannot practise true religion or have any spiritual practice
because they are so preoccupied with material gains and sense
pleasures. Only a few are striving in meditation. So also, in the
six celestial realms, the majority of the devas are indulging in
sense pleasures and only a few are practising meditation.

Twenty Brahma worlds

Above these six celestial realms are the 20 Brahma realms.
Due to their tranquillity meditation, beings are reborn there as
Brahmas. They enjoy jhænic bliss and their life span is
extremely long.

However beings in some of the Brahma realms, like the

Suddhævæsa or Pure Abode realms are still practising
meditation. They are beings who have practised Vipassanæ
Bhævanæ or Insight meditation, attained the third stage of
enlightenment and become non-returners or Anægæmøs. They
are reborn in the Suddhævæsa realms and continue to practise
there until they gain arahantship.

Human world
Now let’s us look at our human realm. According to the
Abhidhamma, we, human beings are the result of a mixture of
our past good and bad kamma. That’s why in the human realm,
we experience a mixture of pain and pleasure. If we look
around us, no one including ourselves is perfectly happy
throughout our life or no one is suffering all the time.
Sometimes, we are happy with comfortable, pleasurable
experiences to a certain extent because of our own capability to
obtain enjoyable things. Sometimes we meet with suffering,
tragedy, sorrow and difficulties in our lives.

41
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

That is why the human realm is regarded as a mixture of pain

and pleasure. This is good for spiritual awakening. Unless we
sometimes encounter unpleasurable experiences in life, we
cannot be aroused to emotional or spiritual urgency. That is
why rebirth in the human realm is regarded as the best
opportunity to practise this meditation.

That is why when the devas are going to pass away, their
relatives encourage them to incline their minds to be reborn in
the human realm because the devas or celestial gods regard our
human realm as sugati or pleasurable rebirth. The reason is that
in the human world, we have a chance to do all good deeds like
generosity or dæna. We can observe søla or moral virtues and
we can practise meditation.

Story of Sama¼a deva

To cite an example as recorded in the Tipi¥aka, during the
Buddha's time, there was one young monk by the name of
Sama¼a. During the Buddha's time, it was customary for
monks to take instructions from our Lord Buddha. These
meditating bhikkhus had to go to the nearby village for alms
foods and usually practised either in the forest under big trees
or in the mountain caves.

This Sama¼a Bhikkhu also took meditation instruction from

the Lord Buddha and he went to practise in the cave. He
practised so strenuously that he did not even go for alms foods.
One meal can sustain a person’s life for seven days. If it is not
replenished in time, the person will die. Because of the lack of
nutrition, he passed away in meditation and was immediately
reborn in the deva world.

Rebirth in the deva realm is called Opapætika in Pæ¹i.

Opapætika means instantaneous or spontaneous rebirth. He was
instantaneously reborn as a deva in the celestial realm and was
still practising meditation there. Due to his good kamma,
celestial nymphs were waiting and started to entertain him with
42
 31 Realms and practising meditation

celestial music and dances. He was so disturbed that he came

down back to human realm to seek help from the Lord Buddha.
Lord Buddha gave him instructions to practise meditation and
he gained the first stage of enlightenment and became a
Sotæpanna.

Now he as Sama¼a Deva, is still in the realm of the Thirty-

three Gods called Tævati § sa. This example shows that there
are some persons in the deva world who are devoted to
meditation and some even gain enlightenment.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

43
Questions and Answers – Series 3

44
 How does meditation affect health?

Wisdom springs from meditation,

without meditation wisdom wanes.

Having known these two paths of progress and decline,

let a man so conduct himself that his wisdom may increase.

yogā ve jāyatī bhūri,

ayogā bhūri saṅkhayo.

etaṃ dvedhā pathaṃ ñatvā,

bhavāya vibhavāya ca.

tathāttānaṃ niveseyya,

yathā bhūri pavaḍḍhati.

Dhammapada 282

45
 Questions and Answers – Series 3

How does meditation affect health ?

First of all, we have to understand that a so-called person or a
being is made up of a physical body and mind or næma-rþpa in
Pæ¹i. Mind (Næma) is mental energy that arises dependent upon
this physical body (rþpa).

According to the Pa¥¥hæna, the Buddha says that mind and

matter arise together and they are dependent on each other. So
the mind and body affect each other in both positive and
negative ways.

Negative effects of mind on the body

All the problems of life arise out of mental defilements. The
three main evil roots are greed (lobha), anger (dosa) and
delusion ( moha). Most people, when influenced by their mental
defilements, will abuse their sense faculties in unwholesome
ways. The sense faculties or six sense organs are used to
communicate with the environment. For example with the eyes
to see sight, with the ears to hear sound, with the nose to smell
scent.

Worldlings indulge in sense pleasures in perverted ways. They

drink intoxicants, smoke, take drugs and so on. These
unwholesome actions create innumerable, incurable or serious
consequences or diseases in their own bodies. That is how the
unwholesome mind has negative effects on the body.

Even when someone is mildly angry, he can feel his heart

pounding and his body trembling. Then other problems will
occur like pain in the abdomen. Due to this pain, he will worry
that he may have cancer and be neurotic about it. So physical
ailments can cause mental derangement and mental
derangement can cause physical ailments. This is one kind of
suffering called dukkha dukkha.

46
 How does meditation affect health?

Dukkha dukkha or double dukkha means suffering in both

mind and body. The reason is because we are composed of
mind and body. When the body goes wrong, the mind will also
go wrong. For example, a person slips and breaks his leg. The
broken leg is the cause of his physical pain. Because of this
broken leg, his mind starts to worry. Worried thoughts like “I
am on daily wages. Now I cannot go to work and earn money.
How is my family going to survive? How can I pay for the
medical expenses?” will run in his mind. So his physical
suffering causes mental suffering and this is called dukkha
dukkha.

Positive effects of mind on the body

Through meditation, we are trying to cultivate the mind to be
more wholesome, to be free from mental defilements and also
to suppress excessive indulgence of the six sense organs like
smoking, drinking and using drugs. So moderation in our
lifestyle and a wholesome mind will have wholesome effects
on the body. These will help to improve our health.

The Buddha has himself expounded “æturakæyo anæturacitto ”.

It means you should conduct yourself in such a way that even
though your body might be suffering, your mind is not affected.
That is how noble persons like the arahants, Pacceka Buddhas
and Buddha, who are skillful in meditation, can conduct
themselves. Like us they have the body and like us they also
have bodily suffering but mentally they never suffer. This is
because they are well into the practice of “æturakæyo
anæturacitto” (let the body suffer, but mind never suffer).

On the other hand, an ordinary person who is not used to

meditation and has not gained any insight, will suffer mentally
when faces with physical suffering. He has dukkha dukkha or
double dukkha.

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Conclusion
In conclusion, we should strive to maintain our mindfulness by
noting whatever phenomena occurring in our body, be it
pleasant or painful sensation. When a painful sensation appears,
we should note it incessantly as ‘pain, pain’ and try to see the
arising and disappearing nature. By being aware that any
sensation is impermanent, unsatisfactory and uncontrollable,
our mind can be composed and we can face pain with
equanimity. Thus we do not have dukkha dukkha and are well
into this practice of ‘æturakæyo anæturacitto ” (let the body
suffer, but mind never suffer). That is how meditation is very
useful or beneficial regarding our health.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

48
How does mindfulness help us to deal with illness, old age and death and
also to obtain ultimate freedom?

Even gorgeous royal chariots wear out,

and indeed this body too wears out.

But the Dhamma of the Good does not age;

thus the Good make it known to the good.

jīranti ve rājarathā sucittā,

atho sarīrampi jaraṃ upeti.

satañca dhammo na jaraṃ upeti,

santo have sabbhi pavedayanti.

Dhammapada 151

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

How does mindfulness help us to deal with illness,

old age and death and also to obtain ultimate freedom?
Question:
The first question is “How does mindfulness help us to deal
with illness, old age and death?”
The second question is “How does mindfulness help us to
obtain ultimate freedom?”

Answer:
We can put these two questions together because their essence
is the same, only the presentation is different. Our Lord
Buddha’s teaching or Dhamma leads us to the development of
ultimate freedom of the mind through mindfulness. Through
the practice of Dhamma, we can gain ultimate freedom of the
mind from the sufferings of illness, old age and death.

Four foundations of mindfulness

Mindfulness means practising of Vipassanæ Bhævanæ or insight
meditation which is based on the four foundations of
mindfulness. Our meditators here are practising the four
foundations of mindfulness in accordance to the Buddha’s
instructions as recorded in the Mahæ Satipa¥¥hana Sutta.

The four foundations of mindfulness are:

(1) Kæyænupassanæ Satipa¥¥hæna – contemplation on the
physical phenomena or corporeality or body phenomena.
(2) Vedanænupassanæ Satipa¥¥hæna – contemplation on feelings
and sensation.
(3) Cittænupassanæ Satipa¥¥hæna – contemplation of mind and
mental factors.
(4) Dhammænupassanæ Satipa¥¥hæna - contemplation of the
dhamma.

The word dhamma has no exact translation in English so we

use the Pæ¹i word as it covers both physical and mental
phenomena.
50
 How does mindfulness help us to deal with illness, old age and death and
also to obtain ultimate freedom?

What kind of benefits can we gain from practising the four

foundations of mindfulness? In the very introduction of this
Mahæ Satipa¥¥hæna Sutta, the Buddha gives assurance that
meditators can gain seven benefits. They are:

1) Purification of beings (sattæna§ visuddhiyæ).

The Pæ¹i word satta means beings while visuddhi means
purification. Purification of beings means purification of the
mind of beings. Why do beings need purification of the mind?
This is because non-meditators’ minds are normally or
constantly obsessed or influenced by mental defilements. These
are called kilesa in Pæ¹i. They appear through the three main
evil roots of lobha or greed, dosa or hatred or anger and moha
or delusion. So we need to purify the mind if we want to get
liberation or freedom from all sufferings of old age, sickness
and death.

If we don’t purify the mind, we will be whirling in the vicious

cycle of repeated rebirth, ageing and death. By practising the
four foundations of mindfulness, the Buddha assures us that we
will get the first benefit of Sattæna§ visuddhiyæ or the
purification of the mind.

2 and 3) Overcome sorrow and lamentation (Sokaparidevæna§

samatikkamæya).
Through the practice of the four foundations of mindfulness,
you can overcome sorrow (soka) and lamentation ( parideva).

4 and 5) Overcome physical pain and mental suffering

(Dukkha-domanassæna§ attha³gamæya).
Dukkha is physical pain and domanassa is mental pain. We
beings are composed of mind and matter or næma and rþpa. So
pain arises either from physical cause or mental cause. Pain
from physical cause is called dukkha while mental anguish or
mental sorrow is called mental pain. The fourth and fifth

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

benefit is that you are able to surmount physical and mental

pain.

6. Attainment of path and fruition (¥æyassa adhigamæya)

Through the practice of Insight or Vipassanæ meditation, you
can gain path and fruition or magga-phala.

7. Realisation of Nibbæna (Nibbænassa sacchikiriyæya)

These are the seven benefits you will gain by practising Insight
meditation or four foundations of mindfulness. You will be
able to gain liberation and freedom from the three universal
ailments of ageing, sickness and death. Through magga-phala
you will also gain enlightenment.

The Meaning of Enlightenment

What is enlightenment? At the time of enlightenment while
you are doing this mindfulness meditation, you achieve three
things. The simile given here is the lighting of a candle or lamp.
Three occurrences will happen.
1. Burning of the wick and the wax
2. Expelling the darkness
3. Emitting the light

Similarly at the time of enlightenment you will gain three

things.
1. Path and fruition consciousness (Magga-phala citta)
arise taking Nibbæna as object
2. Extirpating mental defilements (kilesas)
3. Penetration into the Four Noble Truths

According to the Abhidhamma, any consciousness that arises

must have an object. Without an object no consciousness can
arise. When there is no object the mind will sink back to
Bhava³ga citta or life continuum.. When an object presents
itself at one of the six sense doors, then the conscious mind
will arise.
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 How does mindfulness help us to deal with illness, old age and death and
also to obtain ultimate freedom?

At the time of enlightenment, the path and fruition

consciousness will arise and they take Nibbæna as the object.
You can also penetrate into the Four Noble Truths. This is
what we called enlightenment.

The Four Noble Truths

What is the Four Noble Truths? It is unique in our Buddha’s
teaching. All Buddhists should be well-versed with them.
1. The noble truth of suffering (Dukkha Sacca)
2. The noble truth of the cause of suffering (Samudaya Sacca)
3. The noble truth of the cessation of suffering (Nirodha Sacca)
4.The noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of
suffering (Magga Sacca)

These are the Four Noble Truths which you will personally
experience at the moment of enlightenment.

How to apply the Four Noble Truths in your practical

meditation? When you are noting the mind and matter (næma –
rþpa) or five aggregates, you are actually contemplating on the
first noble truth (Dukkha Sacca).

In the first noble truth, the Buddha elaborates on the sufferings

or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) that we humans experience in
our every day life. To be born, to grow old, death, to be
separated from loved ones, to associate with those who are not
conducive, not to get what you want, getting what you do not
want; all these are suffering. Finally the Buddha concludes “In
brief, the five aggregates of clinging is suffering” (“sa³khittena
pañcupædænakkhandhæ dukkhæ”).

When you take the næma and rþpa or five aggregates as objects
of noting, you are actually observing Dukkha Sacca (The first
noble truth of suffering). That is how this development of the
mind can overcome the universal sufferings of ageing, sickness

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

and death.

What is the second noble truth? It is the cause of suffering. The

desire or craving is the cause of action and when you do action,
it becomes the first noble truth suffering. So the cause of
suffering is ta¼hæ or craving. There are three types of craving:
1. Craving for sense pleasure
2. Craving for existence
3. Craving for non-existence
Through the practice of mindfulness meditation, we will be
able to eradicate the cause of suffering.

The third noble truth is Nirodha Sacca or the noble truth of the
cessation of suffering. It means the realisation of Nibbæna. At
the time of Nibbæna, all sufferings will cease.

The fourth noble truth is Magga Sacca or the path leading to

the cessation of suffering. Magga Sacca is what our meditators
are practising here.

Magga Sacca has 8 factors.

1. Sammæ Di¥¥hi ( right view)
2. Sammæ Sa³kappa (right thought)
3. Sammæ Væcæ ( right speech)
4. Sammæ Kammanta ( right action)
5. Sammæ Æjøva (right livelihood)
6. Sammæ Væyæma ( right effort)
7. Sammæ Sati ( right mindfulness)
8. Sammæ Samædhi ( right concentration)

These 8 factors are grouped into the 3 trainings of søla, samædhi,

paññæ or morality, concentration and wisdom. By practising
Vipassanæ or mindfulness meditation you are actually
practising these Noble Eightfold Path factors.

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 How does mindfulness help us to deal with illness, old age and death and
also to obtain ultimate freedom?

Conclusion
When your eight factors are mature, you will attain
Enlightenment and become a noble person or ariya-puggala.
Then you keep on practising till you become an arahant. When
an arahant passes into parinibbæna, there will be no more
rebirths for him. Since there is no rebirth, there is no more
aging, sickness and old age. That is how by practising
mindfulness meditation or Vipassanæ meditation, you will be
delivered from sa§særic suffering and obtain ultimate freedom.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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Questions and Answers – Series 3

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Three kinds of defilements and three ways to deal with them

To avoid all evil,

to cultivate good,

and to cleanse one's mind;

this is the teaching of the Buddhas.

sabbapāpassa akaraṇaṃ,

kusalassa upasampadā,

sacittapariyodapanaṃ,

etaṃ buddhāna sāsanaṃ.

Dhammapada 183

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Three Levels of defilements and

three trainings to deal with them
Question:
There are three stages or levels of mental defilements or kilesa
in Pæ¹i language. Please explain in more details about each of
them?

Answer:
The Buddha in some discourses mentioned about defilements
or Kilesas. In some other discourses, he mentioned as fetters
or sa§yojana. These sa § yojanas bind beings to the vicious
cycle of sa§særic existences like a criminal is chained or hand-
cuffed so that he cannot run away. All beings are tied or bound
to this sa§særic vicious cycle of repeated rebirth, old age,
sickness and death.

In some discourses the Buddha mentioned about oghas. Ogha

means outflow, like a river flowing from upstream to
downstream or from higher ground to lower ground. These
defilements or negative thoughts flow out of us towards
sensuous objects. That’s why the Buddha compared them as
Oghas.

Whatever the terms used, we need to understand that kilesa or

mental defilements are just corruptions, stains, impurities,
blemishes or anything that is bad. The main causes of
defilements are the three main evil roots of greed (lobha),
hatred (dosa) and delusion ( moha).

Three types of mental defilements

These mental defilements impress on our mental stream in
three ways.
1. Latent defilements (anusaya kilesa)

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 Three kinds of defilements and three ways to deal with them

2. Obsessive defilements (pariyu¥¥hæna kilesa)

3. Transgression defilements (vøtikkama kilesa)

The first one is anusaya kilesa or latent defilements. Anusaya

means latent or inherent or dormant mental defilements. It has
two types. One is santænanusaya kilesa, the defilement that is
impressed in our own næma-rþpa or psycho physical complex.

The second variety is æramma¼ænusaya kilesa, the defilement

based on an external object or æramma¼a in Pali. When an
object comes into contact with one of the sense doors, like with
the eye when we see the sight, with the ear we hear the sound,
with the nose when we get the smell, with the mouth when we
get the taste, with the body when we get the tactile impression,
then mental defilements may arise. These are called
æramma¼ænusaya kilesa that means defilements that arise based
on the object especially sensual object.

When this ænusaya kilesa or latent defilement becomes active

due to certain conditions, it obsesses the mind repeatedly. It
becomes the second stage called obsessive defilement
(pariyu¥¥hæna kilesa). When this obsessive defilement gathers
momentum or becomes forceful, then the third stage that is
transgression defilements (vøtikama kilesa) will take place. Due
to this mental obsession, we respond by either verbal speech or
bodily action.

Example of a Volcano
To have a better understanding, we can use the example of a
dormant or sleeping volcano. A sleeping volcano is a mountain
with a crater at the peak. It is usually dormant without any
activities for many years. This is comparable to the first variety
of defilement - anusaya kilesa. At this stage, the mental
defilement is not active yet, just lying dormant in our mental
system.

When conditions conduce, the volcano starts its activities and

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

its environment changes. People living near the volcano can

feel the temperature rising. Sometimes they may even find
ashes carried by the wind to their houses and sometimes smoke
from the peak of the volcano may also be visible. That shows
that this dormant or sleeping volcano is slowly becoming
active. That is comparable to the second stage of defilement
known as obsessive defilement (pariyu¥¥hæna kilesa) because
this defilement continuously or incessantly obsesses the mind.
When this stage gains momentum, the actual eruption of the
volcano takes place with fiery magma (lava) flowing out of the
crater. That is comparable to the third stage of transgression
defilement (vøtikkama kilesa).

Since these defilements or fetters chain beings to sa§særic

existence and are the main cause of suffering, we should
combat these defilements or kilesa. How to do it?

Three trainings
The main essence of our Buddha’s teachings is the three
trainings of søla, samædhi, paññæ or morality, concentration,
wisdom. To counteract or neutralise the mental defilements,
we have to train ourselves in these three trainings.

By practising morality (søla), we can counteract or suppress the

third stage of defilement, transgression defilement (vøtikkama
kilesa).

The second stage of defilement, obsessive defilement

(pariyu¥¥hæna kilesa) can be counteracted by developing
concentration or practising Samatha Bhævanæ. If possible, we
can train up to absorption concentration (appanæ samædhi), if
not, at least to access concentration (upacæra samædhi). Then
we temporarily suppress this obsessive defilement

The first stage is latent or dormant defilement or anusaya kilesa

which can only be eradicated by Vipassanæ Bhævanæ or insight
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 Three kinds of defilements and three ways to deal with them

meditation.

There are two major types of meditation in the world, one is

Samatha Bhævanæ or tranquillity meditation and another is
Vipassanæ Bhævanæ or insight meditation. Samatha Bhævanæ
or concentration meditation can only suppress mental
defilements temporarily and cannot eradicate them completely.
Only by practising Vipassanæ Bhævanæ or insight meditation
and when you have obtained path and fruition knowledge can
you completely eradicate mental defilements.

That is why in the introduction of the Mahæ Satipa¥¥hæna Sutta,

the Buddha said “Ekæyano aya§ bhikkhave maggo sattæna§
visuddhiyæ”. Satta means beings, visuddhi means purification.
Sattæna§ visuddhiyæ means purification of beings. The
purification of beings means purification of defilements.

Satipa¥¥hæna or the four foundations of mindfulness is the only

way and there is no other way to purify beings. Other ways
can only temporarily suppress but not completely eradicate
mental defilements. When conditions conduce and when
conditions gather momentum these mental defilements can
obsess and can transgress to the third variety that is
transgression defilement.

Example of an ascetic : Temporary suppression of mental

defilement
Out of the many examples recorded in the texts, I want to cite
an example of our Lord Gotama Buddha’s past life as the
Bodhisatta. Whenever he was reborn as a human being, he
always stayed in worldly life just for sometime. In that life, his
name was Ahidaja.

Later, as usual he renounced whatever he possessed like family,

riches and wealth. He went to a forest to practise concentration
or Samatha Bhævanæ as an ascetic or hermit. He usually gained

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

jhæna and psychic powers. So he spent his life in the forest

enjoying this jhænic trances.

Since he had temporarily suppressed all the defilements, his

deportment or behaviour was like an arahant or a noble person.
One day while he was going for alms round, the king of
Bæræ¼asø city, Ænanda-to-be, saw this ascetic. The king was
attracted by his noble deportment. He invited the ascetic to stay
in the king’s garden and to come to the palace everyday to
receive food offering. The ascetic accepted his offer of place
and food.

Every day the ascetic went to the palace for his food. Using his
psychic power, he flew through the air to the palace from the
garden where his hermitage was.

One day before the king had to go to battle to quell a rebellion,

he asked his queen, Mudu-lakkha¼a-devø to attend to the
ascetic’s needs. In those days, kings usually picked beautiful
woman as queen. So the name of this queen meant the one who
was very gentle with delicate features. Probably the queen was
very beautiful. So the queen agreed.

One that day, after the queen had prepared the meal and as
there was still time before the ascetic came, she lay down on a
couch to take a rest and fell asleep. When the ascetic came
through the window with his physic power, she suddenly woke
up. As she got up suddenly, her clothes made of long cloth to
wrap around the body, fell off.

At that time the ascetic saw her features. His latent defilements
began to obsess his mind. Due to his obsessive defilements, he
was about to transgress but he could stop himself in time. Thus,
the first stage of defilements became the second stage and was
about to reach the third stage.

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 Three kinds of defilements and three ways to deal with them

Conclusion
Through this example, we know that Jhæna and psychic power
gain by Samatha Bhævanæ cannot totally eradicate or uproot
latent or dormant defilements. It can only temporarily suppress
these defilements.

That’s why we have to practise the four foundations of

mindfulness or Vipassanæ Bhævanæ to purify the mind.
Through the right practice, we can eradicate all the three types
of defilements namely latent defilement, obsessive defilement
and transgression defilement from our mental stream.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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 Lotus simile

The monk who has retired to a solitary abode

and has calmed his mind,

who comprehends the Dhamma with insight,

in him there arises a delight that transcends all human delights.

suññāgāraṃ paviṭṭhassa,

santacittassa bhikkhuno,

amānusī rati hoti,

sammā dhammaṃ vipassato.

Dhammapada 373

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Lotus Simile
Question: How to apply the simile “lotus growing but unsullied
by the mud” in daily life?

Answer: The Buddha often gives similes from the natural

surroundings for example the lotus flower. Lotus flower grows
in marshy water. The water usually looks dirty because of the
mud and marsh. When it grows and later blossoms, the lotus is
always beautiful and sweet smelling. It is never stained or
contaminated by the dirty water where it grows.

The Buddha also advises his disciples who are striving for
spiritual development to behave like the lotus flowers. Though
we live in worldly life, we should be cleansed of worldly
defilements or Kilesa. Kilesa means mental defilements or
mental impurities or worldly conditions. For a person who is
not developed spiritually, his mind is usually influenced by
mental defilements.

The commentaries have elaborated mental defilements into

1500 defilements. They are all rooted in ten defilements which
are again concisely rooted into the three main evil roots. As
roots are the cause for the tree to grow, so also the three main
roots are the cause of all defilements. They are:
1) Lobha or greed
2) Dosa or anger
3) Moha or delusion or ignorance.

We, human beings are endowed with the six sense organs; with
the eye to see, with the ear to hear, with the nose to smell, with
the mouth to get the taste, with the body to get tactile or
sensory impression and with the mind for mental objects. We
come into contact with the environment or outside world
through these sense organs. That’s why these sense organs are
called as doors (dværa) in the Abhidhamma.

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 Lotus simile

Like in this building there are many doors through which we

enter and exit. Similarly, we come into contact with the outside
world. Actually the world means our six sense bases and their
corresponding objects. The six sense bases are the eye, ear,
nose, tongue, body and mind. The six sense objects are sight,
sound, smell, taste, tactile impression and mental objects.

Mental Defilements
Defilements always arise when the sense objects come into
contact with the six sense bases of a non- meditator who is not
mindful. If the sense object that comes into contact is pleasant,
then lobha or greed arises. If the sense object that comes into
contact is unpleasant, then dosa or aversion or anger arises. If
the contact is not so strong, we may even think that it is
pleasurable or we may not know the true characteristics of the
object, then moha or delusion or ignorance arises.

For example, when we see an object with the eye, the object
can be a living thing or an inanimate object. If it is conducive
to our liking or if the object is pleasant, then we feel happy.
Not only happy but we crave to see it again and again and we
want to catch hold of it or grasp it. So the craving (ta¼hæ)
develops into clinging (upædæna). Craving is the desire to catch
hold of something. Upædæna or grasping or clinging is a
stronger form of craving. Thus if one is not mindful, the
pleasurable object causes one’s mind to be influenced by
craving.

If the object, whether living or inanimate, is unpleasant and not

conducive to our liking, then we feel aversion or we even feel
angry to see it. It is clearer in the sound we hear. When we hear
some sounds, if the sound is pleasant, we are happy and want
to grasp it. When the sound is unpleasant, we feel aversion and
get angry. So that is how the mind, when exposes to sense
objects, becomes affected by mental defilements.

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Mindfulness meditation
Thus we should all take heed of the Buddha’s admonishment of
the lotus flower simile. Like a lotus flower which grows in
dirty marshy water but is never soiled by it. Instead it always
rises above the water clean and sweet. Similarly we must be
able to detach from these sense afflictions of greed and anger.
How to get rid of or how to prevent the mind from being
influenced by any mental defilements?

The way to do it is by practising mindfulness meditation or

Vipassanæ Bhævanæ. According to the Dhammænupassanæ
Satipa¥¥hæna or contemplation of dhamma, we should note the
six sense activities like seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting,
touching and thoughts. These activities occur when the six
sense bases and their corresponding objects come into contact.

The Buddha has said:

Di¥¥he di¥¥hamatta§ bhavissati
In seeing just be seeing.

Sute sutamatta§ bhavissati

In hearing just be hearing.

Mute mutamata§ bhavissati

In coming into contact just stay as contact.

Viññate viññatamatta§ bhavissati

In awareness just be aware.
This is how we have to make a mental note so that the process
won’t go into defilements.

So the moment we see, the Buddha says ‘just be seeing’ means

not to let the mind go into the stages of identification,
evaluation, determination because they are all defilements
which will cause greed, anger and delusion.

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 Lotus simile

Ultimate Truth

What is the ultimate truth in the seeing process? For the seeing
consciousness to arise or seeing process to take place, we need
a few conditions. Actually seeing is by the mind, not the eye.
Eye is just an instrument. The eye base (eye sensitivity) and the
object seen are rþpa or material phenomena. When they come
into contact, this seeing consciousness arises. Seeing
consciousness is næma or mental phenomenon. So in ultimate
truth, there is just mind and matter (næma-rþpa), there is no ‘I’
or no individual or no person who sees things. If you identify
seeing in ultimate truth, there is no time for the defilement to
influence the mind.

You should be aware of cause and effect as well. The object

and the eye are the cause, and the seeing consciousness that
arises is the result of this contact. So here rþpa or material
phenomena are the cause and the mental phenomenon that
arises out of the contact is the result. This is cause and effect
taking place. There is no ‘I’ or no person or no self who sees
things. There is also no pleasant or unpleasant object. So if you
can identify in this way, the defilements of greed and anger
cannot arise.

The fact that you are aware of Paramattha Dhamma or the

ultimate reality of mind and matter, cause and effect and the
process of how seeing arises, you have non-delusion or
asammoha. So greed, hatred, delusion ( lobha, dosa, moha)
cannot influence your mind. That is how like a lotus which
remains unsullied even though it grows in marshy water, if you,
who live in worldly life can be mindful of this ultimate truth,
then your mind will be cleansed of defilements or kilesæ.

When we hear sound, we normally identify it in the

conventional way like ‘oh the bird is singing, the clock is
chiming or a person is singing’. Thus, if the sound is pleasant,
we get attached to it. If the sound is unpleasant, we are averse

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to it. Thus defilements can influence our mind.

In the ultimate sense, these are just sounds. We have to make a

mental note as ‘hearing, hearing’. What you hear is just a
sound. The sound and ear are rþpa or material phenomena.
When these come into contact, hearing consciousness arises or
hearing process takes place. Actually, it is the mind that hears.
The ear is just an instrument. So hearing consciousness is the
mental phenomenon or næma. There is no person or no self or
no ‘I’ that hears things. The sound and the ear are the cause
while hearing consciousness that arises is the result. This is
cause and effect.

When you don’t identify that a person or somebody or self is

hearing, then you are eliminating moha or delusion. You have
seen the true ultimate reality of Paramattha Dhamma. So that’s
how you can prevent mental defilements from arising without
associating the hearing object as ‘I’ or ‘my’ with the pleasant
or unpleasant sound and the corresponding attachment or
aversion.

When you note the smell as ‘smelling, smelling’, the smell and
the nose are rþpa or material phenomena. The smelling
consciousness that arises is næma or the mind. There is just
næma and rþpa and no person, no ‘I’ or no self. The nose and
the smell are the cause, the smelling consciousness or the nose
consciousness that arises is næma or effect. If you understand
this, then there is no chance for defilements whether pleasant
or unpleasant with greed or anger to arise. When you know
only næma and rþpa and cause-effect, you have asammoha (no
ignorance). So lobha, dosa, moha (greed, anger, delusion)
cannot affect the mind.

When we note tasting, we should know the tongue and the taste
are material phenomena (rþpa) and the tasting consciousness
that arises is mental phenomenon ( næma). This is the
knowledge of differentiating rþpa and næma. The tongue and
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 Lotus simile

the taste are the cause and the tasting consciousness is the
result. You should know this cause and effect relationship as
well.

Conclusion
By knowing the ultimate truth or Paramattha Dhamma that is
næma-rþpa and cause-effect, greed or anger or delusion cannot
affect or influence the mind. Be aware of the Paramattha
Dhamma that takes place and we can prevent defilements from
influencing the mind.

That’s how you should behave - like a lotus growing in muddy

water yet remains clean, sweet and unsullied by its
environment. Likewise although we live in a world of sense
indulgence, we must cleanse our minds of mental defilements
and maintain our inner purity.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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 How to practise mindfulness in daily activities?

If one holds oneself dear,

one should diligently watch oneself.

Let the wise man keep vigil

during any of the three watches of the night.

attānañce piyaṃ jaññā,

rakkheyya naṃ surakkhitaṃ.

tiṇṇaṃ aññataraṃ yāmaṃ,

paṭijaggeyya paṇḍito.

Dhammapada 157

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

How to practise mindfulness in daily activities?

In the Dhamma talk just now, Sayædaw suggested that

meditators should make intensive noting. Intensive noting
means to note continuously not only in sitting and walking
meditation but in daily activities as well. However, during
meals, there is not much time to be very slow and to note
everything in detail. What should one do?

The answer is:

Please don’t forget that this is an institutional training and you
are in an intensive retreat. In any institutional training there is a
programme in the form of a time schedule for meditators to
follow.

Yes, as raised in the above question, you have to adjust your

mindfulness practice according to the circumstance. As
meditators, you are observing the eight precepts of which the
sixth precept is to abstain from taking solid food after noon
(vikælabhojanæ verama¼ø sikkhæpada§ samædiyæmi). You have
to finish eating before 12 noon. As such you have to adjust
your noting or practice according to this time factor.

This Vipassanæ Bhavanæ or insight meditation as the name

suggests is mindfulness meditation or to be mindful of one’s
activities. There are two ways to practise mindfulness and
noting.

The first way: Mental labelling

The first way is mental labelling. This means you follow every
action by making a mental note. For example in sitting
meditation, when the abdomen distends, you note as ‘rising’.
When the abdomen relaxes, you note as ‘falling’. When eating,
as you are lifting the food to your mouth, you note ‘lifting,
lifting’. When you are chewing the food, you note ‘chewing,

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 How to practise mindfulness in daily activities?

chewing’. When you are swallowing, you note as ‘swallowing,

swallowing’. If you follow all your actions or all your
meditation objects with mental labellings, these will consume
time.

One advantage about mental labelling is that when you label,

you make more effort to anchor your mind onto the object.
With this penetrating mind, you are aware of the nature and
characteristics of the objects. If you do not label, your noting is
superficial and the mind tends to be distracted. If possible,
please try to make mental labelling as much as you can.

The second way: maintain awareness

The second way to practise mindfulness is by maintaining
awareness of your actions or by maintaining a presence of
mind. During meals especially at lunch time, you have to adjust
your practice of noting according to the time factor. You just
maintain awareness of your actions like the moving of the hand
or the mouth chewing the food. It is not necessary to follow
with the labelling. Then you can finish your lunch before 12
noon and also preserve the eight precepts. This is an
institutional training and we have people taking care of our
food. We have to finish eating by 12 noon so that the workers
can clean up the place later.

This is how we can adjust our practice instead of being absent

minded. Normally in worldly life and at home, while eating,
you may be watching television or answering the phone or
planning some future activities. This is called absent
mindedness. The main action and the awareness of the mind
are not concurrent.

When you are crossing a busy road or in the case of an

emergency, it is not necessary to label because labelling will
take time. Only when you are in an intensive retreat, you can
slow down your activities and make mental labelling.

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The main object of noting

The golden rule to keep in mind is that any predominant object
must be taken as the main object of noting.

In sitting meditation when you are sitting comfortably, there is

no distraction. The rising and falling of the abdomen is obvious.
The body that is sitting and the buttocks touching the cushion
are always present. Our main object of noting during sitting
meditation should be the abdomen ‘rising and falling’ or
‘sitting and touching’ of the body.

In walking meditation, the main object to note is the movement

of the foot. There are three ways of noting. One phase noting
means ‘right step, left step’. When you become more seasoned
in your practice, you increase your noting to ‘lifting, putting
down’ of each step. In the three phases, you note ‘lifting,
moving forward, putting down’. The motion of the foot is the
main object in walking meditation.

Daily activities are activities outside sitting and walking

meditation. These include bathing, eating or going to the
washroom. All these activities must be taken as your objects of
noting. For example you want to take bath. Before leaving the
meditation hall, you have to note ‘intention to get up’. Then
note all your bodily actions in getting up. Then you note
‘intention to walk’ and the walking action. You can do one,
two or three steps according to your time factor. When you
reach the room door, you note ‘intention to open the door’ and
the opening of the door. Similarly before changing your
clothing, note the intention first. When you are taking a shower,
all the movements and sensations arising from bathing, soaping
and other predominant actions must be noted.

At night, when you go back to the room that will be the time
for lying down meditation. According to the Kæyænupassanæ
Satipa¥¥hæna or the contemplation on physical action, one
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 How to practise mindfulness in daily activities?

should practise meditation in the four bodily postures of sitting,

walking, standing and lying down. In the meditation hall,
sitting meditation is one session. At the end of each walking
path, you can practise standing meditation. Standing meditation
and walking meditation combine together are 2 sessions.
Another session is lying down meditation which is done before
you fall asleep.

After a meal, it is advisable scientifically to do lying down

meditation. Go back to the room with the idea of doing lying
down meditation but not to sleep. Some meditators complain
that they sometimes cannot sleep because of the change in
environment. Our mind is like a naughty child. If you force the
mind to sleep, you won’t be able to sleep. If you meditate
before you sleep, then you will fall asleep easily.

After the night recitation, you want to go back to your room.

First note the intention to go back. Then try to note as much as
you can all the actions like ‘right step, left step, opening the
door, preparing the bed’ etc. When you lie down and close
your eyes, you can either note ‘abdomen rising, falling’ or note
‘lying down, touching’. In the lying down position, you
visualise yourself lying on the bed. You note ‘touching’ by
choosing one spot like the head touching the pillow or the
buttocks touching the bed. If you fall asleep then it is time to
take rest. When you wake up, you should continue noting.

In daily activities you should try to keep a presence of mind.

Don’t let the mind go astray with wandering thoughts or be
distracted by the commotion of the environment. During meal
time, you should try to keep your attention on the process of
eating. You should be aware of the present action taking place
without making mental labelling of every movement.
Occasionally, when you have lots of thoughts, you should stop
and note ‘thinking, thinking’ and then go back to noting your
movements. All actions done during daily activities are your
main objects of noting.

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Conventional (Paññatti) versus Ultimate truth (Paramattha)

In our Buddhist teaching, there are two truths in the world. One
is conventional truth (paññatti). The other truth is ultimate truth
(paramattha). Labelling is a conventional (paññatti) term. In
Vipassanæ meditation, we should try to observe the objects for
the ultimate truth.

At the beginning of meditation, we use labelling, conventional

terms and concepts. We note ‘rising, falling’ or ‘left step, right
step, lifting, moving, putting down’, or ‘seeing’. However we
have to change our perception or understanding towards the
ultimate reality or paramattha dhamma. We must try to discard
totally this conventional usage or paññatti. We must be able to
identify our meditation objects as paramattha dhamma to gain
enlightenment or the knowledge of what is real and what is
unreal.

For conventional usage nobody needs any extra lesson or

training. We have been conditioned or habitually accustomed
since very young to identify our environment and experience in
this conventional sense. Not only in this life but since
beginingless times, we are living in the conventional world
with concepts or unreal ideas. When one is bent to seek
deliverance from this sa§særic sufferings, one must gradually
change this conventional understanding into ultimate reality or
paramattha. We need to train our mind to view things in
ultimate reality.

The main emphasis of Vipassanæ Bhævanæ or insight

meditation is to develop wisdom. Wisdom means paramattha
knowledge but not the conventional knowledge that we are
used to. However, we are habituated to or we are conditioned
to view things as ‘man’, ‘woman’, ‘human beings’, ‘cats’,
‘dogs’, ‘animals’ etc. All these are conventional terms or
usages.
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 How to practise mindfulness in daily activities?

In Vipassanæ or insight meditation, meditators must change the

habit of identifying things in paññatti way or conventional way
into ultimate reality. I have always explained in my Dhamma
talks as to how to identify this paramattha dhamma in your
practical meditation. This so-called living being or this ‘I’ is
just a psychophysical complex or a compound of physical
elements and mental energy. In Pæ¹i these are called næma and
rþpa.

Rþpa or material phenomena can be identified by four gross

elements.
1. Pathavø dhætu or Earth element or solidity. The solidity can
be identified by feelings of hardness and softness, roughness
and smoothness.
2. Æpo dhætu or water element. Water element can be identified
through its cohesive properties and liquidity.
3. Tejo dhætu or heat element. There are three kinds of heat:
hot, warm, cold
4. Væyo dhætu or wind element - element of motion or support.

When you are noting rising and falling of the abdomen, the
words ‘rising, falling’ are just paññatti or conventional terms.
The motion of this rising and falling is the element of motion
(væyo dhætu). This motion is paramattha dhamma. When you
feel the solidity of the abdomen, you are actually feeling the
earth element. When you feel heat or cold, it is the heat
element. Sometimes you may feel sweat or moisture in the
abdomen under your clothing. That is water element.

In conventional term or labelling, there is only abdomen rising

and falling. However if you could identify the four elements by
their own characteristics, that means you are seeing the
ultimate truth or paramattha dhamma.

Conclusion
As mentioned earlier on, there are two ways to practise

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mindfulness. The first way is to make mental labelling on the

meditation objects like you note as ‘rising, falling’, or ‘left,
right’ or ‘lifting, pushing’ etc. The second way is just to
maintain awareness of the meditation objects.

Whether you are making mental labelling or just maintaining

awareness, the most important thing is that you should incline
your mind to view things in paramattha or ultimate truth. In
this way, you will realise that there is no ‘I’, no ‘me’, no atta.
The truth is only næma-rþpa or mind and matter and they are
transient, unsatisfactory and uncontrollable/non-self (anicca,
dukkha, anatta). By constantly training your mind to see the
ultimate truth, you will soon realise the true nature of all
phenomena.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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 Dependent origination and cause and effect

Hard is it to be born a man,

hard is the life of mortals.

Hard is it to gain the opportunity of hearing the Sublime Truth,

and hard to encounter is the arising of the Buddhas.

kiccho manussapaṭilābho,

kicchaṃ maccāna jīvitaṃ.

kicchaṃ saddhammassavanaṃ,

kiccho buddhānamuppādo.

Dhammapada 182

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Dependent Origination and Cause and Effect

If we want to be delivered from sa § sara, that is the vicious

cycle of repeated life and death, we must understand cause-
effect thoroughly. Let us discuss in detail about Dependent
Origination and cause-effect.

There are three modes of cause-effect.

1. Dependent Origination or Dependent causation (Pa¥icca
samuppæda or pa¥icca samudaya)
2. Kamma causation ( Kamma samudaya)
3. Momentary causation (Kha¼ika samudaya)

Every morning we recite the Dependent Origination. We use

the word recitation and not chanting. When we do the daily
recitation, we are actually doing Dhammænussati or reflection
on Dhamma. When the Buddha was meditating under the
Bodhi tree near the Nerañjaræ river, he repeatedly reflected on
the Dependent Origination. Through thorough penetration into
this doctrine, he eradicated all mental defilements and became
enlightened as Sammæsambuddha or Omniscient Buddha.

It is very important to understand the Dependent Origination

and cause-effect as these doctrines are the ultimate truths. In
fact, they constitute what the world and beings are.

A. Dependent Origination
The first link is avijjæ paccayæ sa³khæra (with ignorance as
condition, sa³khæra arises).

First we have to understand the Pæ¹i word Avijjæ. It is ‘A +

vijjæ’ (non-wisdom). Avijjæ has two meanings. The first
meaning is ignorance. This is not the worldly or ordinary
ignorance of this place, that person, that fact and so on. The
actual meaning is ignorance of the Four Noble Truths. The

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Four Noble Truths are:

1. The Noble Truth of Suffering
2. The Noble Truth of Cause of suffering
3. The Noble Truth of Cessation of suffering
4. The Noble truth of Path leading to the cessation of
suffering

When we practise Vipassanæ meditation, our aim is to realise

the Four Noble Truths and transform the avijjæ in us to vijjæ
(wisdom).

The second meaning of avijjæ is delusion. Worldlings with no

meditation experience or knowledge of Saddhamma (Buddha’s
teaching) are normally deluded in four ways.
What is impermanent, they think as permanent.
What is suffering/unsatisfactoriness, they think as happiness
What is non-self/uncontrollable, they think as self
What is undesirable/ugly, they think as beautiful

In Pæ¹i,
Anicca is perceived as nicca.
Dukkha is perceived as sukha.
Anatta is perceived as atta.
Asubha is perceived as subha.

When meditators practise Vipassanæ meditation, they see their

meditation objects arising and passing away moment to
moment. Then they realise that everything is anicca. However
deluded worldlings think that what is impermanent (anicca) as
permanent (nicca). This is the first delusion.

When the five faculties (faith, effort, mindfulness,

concentration and wisdom) are balanced and meditation is
mature, meditators realise that everything is impermanent or
transient. They feel insecure and disenchanted. They feel
wearisome to their own næma-rþpa that are constantly arising
and passing away. They feel dreadful and disgusted. When one

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næma-rþpa passes away and no new næma-rþpa arises, then it is

time to die. In fact we can say that næma-rþpa is dangerous and
full of unsatisfactoriness. However deluded persons conceive
that what is suffering or unsatisfactorisness (dukkha) as
happiness (sukha). This is the second delusion.

Our meditators will realise that næma-rþpa is impermanent or

transient and full of suffering or unsatisfactoriness. They
realise that a so-called being or this ‘I’ is just a psychophysical
complex or compound of næma and rþpa only. There is no atta
or solid entity or self.

What really exists in the ultimate sense is only næma-rþpa or

five aggregates (material, feeling, perception, mental
formations and consciousness) or twelve bases (six sense doors
and their objects). They are uncontrollable because they are
conditioned things. They arise due to conditions and pass away
when the conditions cease.

Worldings also perceive the næma-rþpa as atta, solid entity, self,

ego and believe that there is a permanent ‘I’ which exists all
the time. In fact, there is no atta. The ultimate truth is anatta.
So the third delusion is perceiving anatta (non-self or
uncontrollable) as atta (self).

The fourth delusion is that what is asubha (non-beautiful) is

conceived as subha (beautiful). The Buddha has expounded
that the body can be divided into 32 major parts. If we peel off
the skin, we will see that the body is ugly. We will not even
want to look at the body and be delighted by it. As the saying
goes, beauty is only skin-deep. This body is asubha but the
deluded or ignorant person thinks that his body is subha or
beautiful.

So these are the four ways worldlings with no Vipassanæ

meditation experience or those who are ignorant of the True
Teachings of the Buddha will be deluded in.
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The first link in the Dependent Origination is avijjæpaccayæ

sa³khæræ. In the Buddha’s teaching, Kamma is sa³khæra.
Kamma means volitional or intentional action.
We act in three ways.
With mind we think ( mano kamma)
With mouth we speak (vaci kamma)
With body we act (kæya kamma)

Any action done with intention will form kamma. Actually

Dhamma is very profound. Kamma not only means volitional
action, it actually means volitional action and resultant effects.

Any action that we do with ignorance or delusion will form

kamma-bhava. Bhava means existence. Kamma-bhava has the
potential to create any existence and it accumulates like energy.
When the conditions conduce, it will give rise to upapatti
bhava or rebirth process.

Why is it important to practise mindfulness meditation or

Vipassanæ bhævanæ? When you are mindful of the ultimate
truths that is næma-rþpa, cause-effect (paccaya pariggaha) and
the three universal characteristics of all phenomena, i.e. anicca,
dukkha and anatta, you can prevent kammic result.

When you are mindful of the ultimate truth, your avijjæ

(ignorance or delusion) will transform to vijjæ (wisdom or non-
delusion). According to your degree of mindfulness, you can
attain the different stages of enlightenment. That is why it is
important to practise mindfulness.

If you are not mindful of the ultimate truth, then the next link
in the Dependent Origination will happen, that is
sa³khærapaccayæ viññæ¼a§ (depending on sa³khæra or kammic
energy, consciousness will arise). What type of consciousness
will arise?

The first citta (mind) in this life is pa¥isandhi citta while the

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

last citta is cuti citta. The kammic energy or sa³khæra of past

life will condition the first consciousness (viññæ¼a) in this
present life. This viññæ¼a is pa¥isandhi citta or rebirth linking
consciousness as it links the past existence to the new existence.

The next link in the Dependent Origination is viññæ¼apaccayæ

næma-rþpa § (mind-matter). According to the Abhidhamma, all
beings have both næma (mind) and rþpa (matter). The only
exception are those beings born in the asaññasatta realm and
arþpa realms (immaterial realms). Asaññasatta beings or
mindless beings have only material body but no mind. Those
born in the arþpa realms have no material body but only mind
and they exist as mental energy. We human beings are
composed of a psychophysical complex or næma-rþpa. Rþpa is
the material body and mind is the mental energy based on this
physical body.

Let us look at the human rebirth. At the time of conception, the

næma-rþpa co-exist or have a mutual (aññamañña) relationship.
The rebirth-linking consciousness or pa¥isandhi citta forms the
næma side. The rþpa or material side is constituted from 1 cell
of the mother’s side, i.e. ovum and 1 cell of the father’s side,
i.e. sperm. These two unite and form a zygote. So næma-rþpa
mutually co-exist and depend on each other.

The further links of the Dependent Origination are as follow:

Næma-rþpapaccayæ sa¹æyatana§
Dependent on næma-rþpa, the six sense organs (sa¹æyatana)
will arise.

Sa¹æyatanapaccayæ phasso
Dependent on the six sense organs, contact (phassa) will arise.

Phassapaccayæ vedanæ
Dependent on contact, feelings (vedanæ) will arise.
Vedanæpaccayæ ta¼hæ
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 Dependent origination and cause and effect

Dependent on feelings, craving (ta¼hæ) will arise. A person

craves for good feelings. If he experiences unpleasant feeling,
he wants it to disappear and for pleasant feeling to occur.

Ta¼hæpaccayæ upædæna§
Dependent on craving, clinging (upædæna) will arise. Once
craving has set in, he will cling to it and does not want to let it
go. Clinging is the stronger form of craving.

Upædænapaccayæ bhavo
Dependent on clinging, bhava (new existence) will arise.

Bhavapaccayæ jæti. Jætipaccayæ jaræmara¼a § , sokaparideva–

dukkha-domanassupæyæsæ sambhavanti. Evametassa kevalassa
dukkhakkhandhassa samudayo hoti.
Dependent on new existence, rebirth ( jæti) will arise. Because
one is reborn, one has to face sickness, aging, death, sorrow
and lamentation in the future. Thus the whole mass of suffering
will happen again.

The Dependent Origination explains the causation of existence

of beings and what the world really means.

B. Action causation (Kamma samudaya)

The next cause-effect is Kamma Samudaya or action causation.
Because of the kamma done in the past, we experience good or
bad experiences in the present life. Because of the actions in
the past life and the actions in the present life, we will
experience the kammic results in the future life.

Once, a young man Subha asked the Buddha about Kamma. He

asked why beings were born into different states like nobly
born and lowly born. Buddha gave a detail explanation.
According to the Buddha, if one indulges in killing, he will
have a short life. If one abstains from killing, he will enjoy a
long life in his future existences. If one is cruel to other people

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and animals, he will always be sick in his future existences. If

he abstains from harming other beings, he will be healthy in the
future life. This is Kamma and its result or kamma causation
(Kamma Samudaya).

C. Momentary causation (Kha¼ika samudaya)

The third mode of cause-effect is momentary causation or
Kha¼ika Samudaya. This mode is very important for a
Vipassanæ meditator to know as it directly concerns with his
practice.

For example, in walking meditation, before you walk, you note

the intention to walk. At the end of walking, you note the
intention to turn. You will realise that the intention to walk is
the cause while the stepping of the foot is the result. The
stepping of the right foot is the cause and the noting of the right
foot is the result. Then the stepping of the right foot is the
cause and the stepping of the left foot is the effect.

While standing, you will notice that the intention to turn is the
cause while the turning of the body is the effect. Next the
turning of the body is the cause, and the noting as ‘turning,
turning’ is the effect.

A meditator can also realise cause-effect relationship when

noting the six sense phenomena. For example, when hearing a
sound, you note ‘hearing, hearing’. The ear and sound are the
cause. The hearing consciousness is the result. Here, the ear
and sound are rþpa or material. The hearing consciousness is
næma or mind.

By maintaining mindfulness and by having clear

comprehension, the meditator will realise that at every moment
there is cause-effect relationship between næma-rþpa. This is
the understanding of momentary causation ( Kha¼ika
Samudaya).

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Conclusion
A meditator should try to see these three modes of cause-effect
in their meditation and daily lives. By doing so, the meditators
will realise the ultimate truth that there is no atta or ‘I” or a
solid entity in ourselves. The ultimate truth is just næma-rþpa
or five aggregates, cause effect and the three characteristics of
all phenomena namely anicca, dukkha, anatta or impermanence,
unsatisfactorisness and non-self.

Through the realisation and penetrative understanding of

cause-effect, the meditators will be able to overcome various
doubts, achieve knowledge of cause-effect (paccaya-pariggaha
ñæ¼a) and obtain the fourth purification that is the purification
of overcoming doubts (ka³khæ-vitara¼a visuddhi). That is why
meditators should thoroughly understand cause-effect and
dependent origination.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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Contemplation of Five Aggregates at the six sense doors

Whenever he sees with insight

the rise and fall of the aggregates,

he is full of joy and happiness.

To the discerning one this reflects the Deathless.

yato yato sammasati

khandhānaṃ udayabbayaṃ,

labhatī pītipāmojjaṃ.

amataṃ taṃ vijānataṃ.

Dhammapada 374

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Contemplation of Five Aggregates at the six sense doors

Let us discuss on the Five Aggregates of clinging

(Pañcupædænakkhandhæ). The Buddha in his discourses always
mentions about næma-rþpa, mind and matter or more
elaborately the Five Aggregates. Sometimes, he mentions
about the æyatana or the six sense bases and the six sense
objects.

These are the main topics in the Buddha’s discourses. To

attract the attention of the audience, he delivers his talks in
many ways but ultimately the main essence is mind-matter
(næma –rþpa), the Five Aggregates or 12 æyatanas. Any
meditator who aspires to gain progress in Vipassanæ Bhævanæ
or insight meditation should be well-versed or familiar with
these topics, terms and phenomena.

Body or material part

Rþpa means material phenomenon or physical body. It
constitutes the physical part of an individual. Based on this
physical body, næma or the mind or mental faculty arises. The
physical body or material phenomenon is constituted by the
four great elements (Mahæbhþta). The four great elements are:
1. Pathavø or earth element
2. Æpo or water element
3. Tejo or heat element
4. Væyo or motion or air element
These are the characteristics of the four elements which we can
identify or observe in our body as material phenomena or the
physical part of the psycho-physical complex.

Mind or mental part

The next part of the psycho-physical complex is the psychic or

mind. It is composed of 4 mental categories or mental
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 Contemplation of Five Aggregates at the six sense doors

phenomena, namely the 3 mental concomitants (cetasika) and 1

citta.

Mind
1. Feeling (Vedanæ)
2. Perception (Saññæ) cetasika
3. Mental formation (Sa³khæra) (mental concomitants)

4. Consciousness(Viññæ¼a) citta

The næma or the mental portion of the psycho-physical

complex can be identified by the above four mental factors.
The mind is the one that can appreciate or experience the
object while the physical body or material part is the base for
the mind to arise. This is the general set-up of the psycho-
physical complex.

The Buddha sometimes uses similes to explain these

phenomena for the better understanding of the dhammas by his
audience. Once the Buddha compares the body as foam,
feelings as bubbles, perception as a mirage and consciousness
as a conjurer’s trick.

Five aggregates
1. Material aggregate (Rþpakkhandha)
The first aggregate of the Five Aggregates
(pañcupædænakkhandhæ) is the material aggregate
(rþpakkhandha). The Buddha says, “phenapi¼ðupamærþpa”
means our body is similar to foam or froth (phenapi¼ða). After
the dry season with the wind and dust blowing on the surface,
bubbles form at the river bank due to the rain. Bubbles when
collected together accumulate into a lump of mass. They have
no substantial core inside. They are just a group of air bubbles
clustering together to form foam or froth. The foam is
vulnerable to the wind and it ruptures easily. As new bubbles

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are formed, some disappear and some appear later.

The Buddha compares our physical body to foam or froth. It is

very vulnerable and impermanent but we think that it is
permanent and substantial. In fact it is just the opposite. Let’s
look at chicken eggs. They seem to be very vulnerable because
they are easily broken. However our body is more vulnerable
than the eggs. Mosquitoes and other insects can penetrate into
our skin and cause diseases but they cannot penetrate into these
so-called fragile eggs. Our body is made up of the four great
elements which are constantly changing. Our body is like the
foam because it can disintegrate easily. That’s why the Buddha
compares our body to foam.

2. Feeling or sensation aggregate (Vedanækkhandha)

The second aggregate is vedanækkhandha (feeling or sensation
aggregate). The Buddha says: “bubbulupamævedanæ”. Bubbula
means bubble. The individual bubble just arises and disappears
frequently with each drop of rain. When meditators note
intensely the feeling and sensation in their body, they can see
the constant change moment by moment.

This feeling or sensation can change in three ways.

a) Change in intensity
First when you are mindfully noting mild sensation, it
can gradually become stronger and stronger. At the
beginning of meditation practice, it can sometimes be
excruciating and unbearable.
b) Change in nature
The second change you can recognise in meditation is
the change in its nature. As you keep on noting the
pain, it can change to hardness, heat or numbness.
c) Change of site
You can observe the site of the pain. It may start at the
back, it may move up to the neck, or it move down
towards the knee or the ankle.

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 Contemplation of Five Aggregates at the six sense doors

That is how you can see the incessant change while you are
noting it. There are also three kinds of sensation.
a. Pleasant sensation (sukha vedanæ)
b. Unpleasant sensation (dukkha vedanæ)
c. Neither unpleasant nor pleasant sensation
(adukkhamasukha vedanæ)
These sensations or feelings only arise for a transient moment
and immediately pass away. That’s why the Buddha says
“bubbulupamævedanæ”, these feelings or sensations are like
bubbles which are constantly arising and passing away.

3. Perception aggregate (Saññækkhandha)

The third aggregate is saññækkhandha (perception aggregate).
The Buddha says “marøcikþpamæsaññæ”. The Pæ¹i word
“marøcikæ” is mirage. In tropical country the strong heat before
the rain causes the water to vaporise together with dust. The
sunray causes an optical illusion or water bed. A thirsty animal
may think there is a water bed or some water in the distance.
When it goes nearer and nearer, the water bed seems further
and further away. This is actually an optical illusion of water
known as a mirage.

So also with saññæ or perception which the Buddha compares

to a mirage. It deceives us to see what is anicca or
impermanent, dukkha or unsatisfactory, anatta or not Atta or
ego as being permanent, happy or satisfactory, or a solid entity.
That’s why the Buddha says this saññæ or perception is like a
mirage or “marøcikþpamæsaññæ”.

4. Mental formation aggregate (Sa³khærakkhandha)

As for the fourth aggregate sa³khæra, the Buddha says
“kadalþpamæsa³khæra”. The Pæ¹i word ‘kadala’ means plantain
tree or a banana tree. The inside of the trunk has no core or
heartwood but only plenty of spongy tissues. It cannot be used
to make furniture or to build houses. This sa³khæra aggregate

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constitutes the main portion of the Five Aggregates because it

is made up of fifty mental factors. In fact due to the three
characteristics of anicca or impermanence etc, they are coreless
or have no heartwood like those plaintain trees. That’s why the
Buddha compares the mental formation aggregate with kadala
or plantain tree trunk.

5. Consciousness aggregate (Viññæ¼akkhandha)

The Buddha describes the fifth and last aggregate of viññæ¼a or
consciousness as “mæyupamæviññæ¼a”. Mæyæ means conjurer’s
trick. Nowadays we seldom see live magic show, only on TV
or video. In olden days magic shows were very popular public
entertainment. The entertainers roamed about from place to
place to perform.

The magician had a tall hat which he put on a table. From his
pocket, he took out a scarf and put it into that tall hat. Then he
pretended to chant some kind of charm. Later when he took the
scarf out from the hat, it had turned into a pigeon. In that way
he tricked the audience. That’s why magic shows are called
“mæyæ”. Mæyæ means tricking or cheating or deceiving.

Actually behind the screen and under the table on the stage, his
apprentice had exchanged the scarf with a pigeon. In this way,
he cheated the audience in the theater or open show. The
audience, especially the children really thought that the scarf
had turned into a pigeon.

Similarly, that is how our consciousness or viññæ¼a deceives us.

The ultimate reality of living beings is just a concept or name.
What is real is either næma-rþpa or Five Aggregates. However
consciousness makes us see the ultimate reality in the
conventional sense or make us believe that these are man,
woman and so on. So that’s how consciousness is like the
conjurer’s trick or deceit.

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How to observe the Five Aggregates?

How to observe the Five Aggregates or Pañcupædænakkhandhæ
in your meditation practice? The Buddha prescribes the Five
Aggregates as belonging to Dhammænupasanæ or
contemplation on dhamma in the Mahæ Satipa¥¥hæna Sutta.
Dhamma is a word that is difficult to translate so we prefer to
keep the Pæ¹i word ‘dhamma’ as it is. How to do
Dhammænupasanæ in actual practice? You can contemplate the
Five Aggregates that arise in the six sense bases.

The five aggregates are:-

1. Rþpakkhandha ( material group)
2. Vedanækkhandha (feeling/sensation group)
3. Saññækkhandha ( perception group)
4. Sa³khærakkhandha (mental formations group)
5. Viññæ¼akkhandha (consciousness group)

The six sense bases and their corresponding objects:-

No Sense base Sense object
(Internal base) (External object)
1 Eye Sight

2 Ear Sound

3 Nose Smell

4 Tongue Taste

5 Body Tangible objects

6 Mind Mental objects like

thinking, planning and
others

Seeing process
When you see something whether it is pleasant or unpleasant,
you have to note as ‘seeing, seeing’. You can identify the

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presence of the Five Aggregates at the eye door.

1.The eye and the object seen (rþparamma¼a) are material
phenomena (rþpakkhandha).
2.At the moment of seeing any object, there is the arising of
pleasant or unpleasant or neither pleasant nor unpleasant
sensation. This is sensation aggregate (vedanækkhandha).
3.When you see an object you immediately identify it whether
it is a man or an animal or a table or a stool as you have learned
or have marked in your past experience. Then you try to recall
to memory. This perception is the third aggregate or perception
group (saññækkhandha).
4.Any volition or intention or inclination or making effort to
see belongs to the mental formation group (sa³khærakkhandha).
5.All these complete the process of bare awareness of seeing
that is the seeing consciousness (viññæ¼akkhandha).
This is how you identify the five aggregates when you note any
object that arises through the eye door.

Hearing process
When you hear a sound, you have to note as ‘hearing, hearing’.
You can also identify the Five Aggregates at this ear door.
1.The sound and the ear are rþpakkhandha or physical
aggregates or material aggregates.
2.The moment we hear, the feeling or sensation whether it is
pleasant or unpleasant or neither pleasant nor unpleasant will
also arise. This is called vedanækkhandha or the aggregate of
feeling or sensation.
3.Then the moment we note as ‘hearing, hearing’, we have
already identified or we tend to identify as we have been
conditioned to in our past experience as ‘this is a bird singing,
this is the clock chiming, someone is making this sound’. This
is the aggregate of perception (saññækkhandha).
4.Hearing consciousness arises because of your manasikæra or
focusing attention to the sound in order to hear it. That
intention or volition or that effort to hear is the group of mental
formation or volition or intention (sa³khærakkhandha).

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5.The hearing consciousness which arises through this process

is the aggregate of consciousness (viññæ¼akkhandha).
That is how when you note ‘hearing, hearing’ you can identify
the Five Aggregates.

Smelling process
Similarly when you smell something, you have to note as
‘smelling, smelling’. You can identify the presence of the Five
Aggregates at the nose door.
1.You will know that the nose and the smell are physical
aggregates or material phenomena (rþpakkhandha).
2.Then feeling of pleasant or unpleasant in smelling is the
aggregate of feeling or sensation ( vedanækkhandha).
3.The third aggregate of perception (saññækkhandha)
recognises or recalls the scent we have experienced before such
as the smell of a flower, root or a fruit and so on.
4.The action that constitutes the smelling process is the
aggregate of volition or intention (sa³khærakhandha).
5.The smelling consciousness that arises is the aggregate of
consciousness (viññæ¼akkhandha).

Tasting process
The next sense base is the tongue. When you are eating, you
note as ‘tasting, tasting’. You can identify the presence of the
Five Aggregates at the tongue door.
1.The tongue and the food are the material aggregates
(rþpakkhandha).
2.The taste of pleasant or unpleasant or any kind of taste like
bitter, sweet or spicy taste is due to the sensation of
vedanækkhandha or the aggregate of sensation or feeling.
3.The recognition of the object you are tasting or eating is
saññækkhandha like knowing whether it is rice or noodle or
chicken or pork or vegetable. According to our past experience
we identify the food with the taste.
4.All the volition or intention or action regarding this process
of eating is sa³khærakkhandha or the aggregate of volition or
intention or mental formation.

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5.The eating or tasting consciousness that arises through this

process is the aggregate of consciousness (viññæ¼akkhandha).

Touching process
Similarly when you note the touching sensation of the body,
you can note as ‘touching, touching’. You can identify the
presence of the Five Aggregates at the body door.
1.Touching sensation can arise from any part of the body. The
body is the material phenomenon (rþpakkhandha).
2.Sensation aggregate (vedanækkhandha) is all kinds of
sensation that arise from the body, like breeze of the wind, the
heat of the sun, the bite of insects, roughness or smoothness of
clothes.
3.The recognition of the sensation as we have been conditioned
before like ‘this is clothes touching or this is an insect bite, itch,
tingling, numbness, heat, cold’ is the aggregate of perception
(saññækkhandha).
4.The aggregate of volition or mental formation
(sa³khærakhandha) is the volition or intention or action that
constitutes the arising of this body sensation.
5.The body consciousness that arises through this process is the
aggregate of consciousness (viññæ¼akkhandha).

Mental process
When you are noting mental activities like ‘thinking,
remembering, planning’, you can identify the presence of the
Five Aggregates at the mind door.
1.The physical base of the mind is this body, either the brain or
the heart. This is the physical aggregate or material aggregate
(rþpakkhandha).
2.With the mind door, we experience sensation like with some
thoughts we are happy, with some thoughts we get angry.
These are pleasurable or unpleasurable thoughts and they
belong to the group of sensation or feeling (vedanækkhandha).
3.We recognise or identify the thoughts as objects that we have
experienced before like ‘this is my family, this is a chair’ and
so on. This recognition is the aggregate of perception
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(saññækkhandha).
4.All the intention or volition or action that arises in this mental
formation is the aggregate of volition or intention
(sa³khærakkhandha).
5.Thinking consciousness that arises is the aggregate of
consciousness (viññæ¼akkhandha).

Understanding the Ultimate Truth

The Buddha says when you contemplate on the Five
Aggregates and the twelve æyatanas, you are also doing
contemplation on dhammas (Dhammænupasanæ). Why should
we understand the twelve æyatanas or the six sense organs and
the six sense objects? The reason is to realise the ultimate truth
of the three universal characteristics of anicca or
impermanence, dukkha or unsatisfactoriness and anatta or
egoless or non self. Any object you note that arises through the
six sense organs is just momentary or transient in existence
only. After arising, it quickly passes away.

Now for instance you are listening to my voice. The sound

comes out word by word. You just hear it for a moment. The
next moment there is no more hearing. This is hearing and
passing away. Everything in this world is transient and
momentary. What arises will pass away. That is the
characteristic of impermanence or anicca. Being impermanent,
it is unsatisfactory, not worth cherishing or being attached to.
This is the second universal characteristic of dukkha.

Nothing is permanent, not even our mind-matter or the psycho-

physical phenomenon which is constantly arising and passing
away. Being arising and passing away, they are impermanent
or anicca. Being anicca, they are unsatisfactory or dukkha.
Being impermanent and unsatisfactory, they are anatta or
egoless or uncontrollable.

There is no person involved and these phenomena arise out of

conditions. When there is no condition, there is no arising and

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passing away. There is no person involved or no ‘I’ or being

that is controlling things. Mind and matter just arise by their
own accord and they pass away soon. This uncontrollable
characteristic is the universal characteristic of anatta or egoless
or non self.

That is why the Buddha exhorts us in the Mahæ Satipa¥¥hæna

Sutta to contemplate on any object that arises through the six
sense doors so that we can incessantly observe the three
universal characteristics and soon realise the perpetual bliss of
Nibbæna.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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Having savoured the taste of solitude and peace (of Nibbæna),

pain-free and stainless he becomes,

drinking deep the taste of the bliss of the Truth.

pavivekarasaṃ pitvā ,

rasaṃ upasamassa ca.

niddaro hoti nippāpo,

dhammapītirasaṃ pivaṃ.

Dhammapada 205

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Seven Stages of Purification (Visuddhi) and

Ten Imperfections (or Defilements) (Vipassanþpakkilesa)
in the Vipassanæ practice

There are Seven Stages of Purification (Visuddhi). They are:

1. Purification of virtue or morality (Søla visuddhi)
2. Purification of mind (Citta visuddhi)
3. Purification of view (Di¥¥hi visuddhi)
4. Purification by overcoming doubts
(Ka³khæ vitara¼a visuddhi)
5. Purification by knowledge and vision of what is path
and what is non-path
(Maggæmagga ñæ¼a dassana visuddhi)
6. Purification by knowledge and vision of
the path progress (Pa¥ipadæ ñæ¼a dassana visuddhi)
7. Purification by knowledge and vision
(Ñæ¼a dassana visuddhi)
The last two purifications are the results of the earlier five
purifications.

In our spiritual journey, we have to find the right path. Path

is called magga in Pæ¹i. There are three kinds of path.
1. Primary/basic path (Mula magga)
2. Preliminary path (Pubbabhæga magga)
3. Noble path (Ariya magga)

The Noble path is the path we achieve through striving

from primary path and preliminary path. The primary path
or mula magga is actually kamma-sakata sammæ di¥¥hi, that
is having saddhæ (faith or confidence) in kamma and its
results. By investing in saddhæ or faith, you start practising
meditation to purify the mind. That is why it is known as
the primary path. Unless you have faith in Kamma and its
results, you will not make serious effort in your spiritual
practice. So, the first thing you need to establish in your
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practice is this mula magga.

You start your spiritual journey by initiating saddhæ in

Kamma and its results till you gain ariya magga. The
middle part of the practice is called pubbabhæga magga
which is the Vipassanæ practice.

1st Visuddhi: Purification of Virtue or Morality (Søla

Visuddhi)
The first step in the practice is the purification of virtue. It
is a prerequisite practice for a meditator and also to fulfil
the ten pæramitæs. For a normal worldling or layperson, he
must observe a minimum of five precepts. We recommend
that meditators in an intensive meditation retreat observe
the eight precepts. For a Sa³gha member of the Buddhist
order, he has to observe the 227 precepts that is
Pæ¥imokkha. By strictly observing the precepts, one will
achieve Purification of Virtue (Søla Visuddhi).

2nd Visuddhi: Purification of Mind (Citta Visuddhi)

When meditators start to meditate, almost everyone will
encounter hindrances (nøvara¼as).
They are:
1. Kæmacchanda nøvara¼a – passionate, sensual thoughts,
that is lobha or greed
2. Vyæpæda nøvara¼a – Vyæpæda means ill-will or hatred
or anger, that is dosa
3. Thøna-middha nøvara¼a – Thøna-middha means sloth
and torpor
4. Uddhacca-kukkucca nøvara¼a – restlessness and
remorse
5. Vicikicchæ nøvara¼a – skeptical doubts

Usually the mind is obsessed by the five hindrances. When

one continues one’s effort in meditation, these hindrances

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will gradually be suppressed. One will then achieve

Purification of mind (Citta Visuddhi) which means
temporary suppression of hindrances or mental defilements.

3rd Visuddhi: Purification of View (Di¥¥hi Visuddhi)

When these hindrances or nøvara¼as are temporarily
suppressed, one can see that the object and the noting mind
are actually two different things. For example in sitting
meditation, the meditator is noting the rising and falling of
the abdomen. The rising and falling is material or rþpa
because up and down movement. The distension and
relaxation of the abdomen is due to in-breath and out-
breath. The motion is the characteristic of wind (væyo)
element. This wind element is rþpa phenomenon. The mind
that is noting is næma or mental phenomenon. These rþpa
and næma are two different things.

When one is persistently observing these mind and matter

(næma-rþpa) and clearly understands them as two different
things, one is convinced that a so-called person is just a
psychophysical complex or a compound of mental and
material phenomena. This gives one temporary suspension
of personality or ego belief (Sakkæya-di¥¥hi). This is the
stage of Purification of View (Di¥¥hi Visuddhi).

If one inclines the mind to observe the ultimate truth, one

can verify by oneself that these næma-rþpa constitute a so-
called being or an individual or the ‘I’.

In walking meditation, a meditator is instructed to note in

three ways. They are ‘left, right’, ‘lifting, putting down’,
and ‘lifting, pushing, putting down’. If you see your leg as
part of the body, it is earth (pathavø) element. If you are
observing the movement of the legs, this motion is wind
(væyo) element. Both elements are gross elements or
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material (rþpa) elements and the mind noting as ‘left, right’

etc is mental (næma) phenomenon. By this way, the
meditator can differentiate the material and mental
phenomena.

Similarly while you are contemplating Dhammænupassanæ,

that is when you are noting ‘seeing’, ‘hearing’, ‘smelling’,
‘tasting’, ‘touching’, ‘thinking’, you can verify the presence
of mind-matter. When you are noting ‘seeing, seeing’, you
will realise that the sight and the eyes are rþpa; while the
seeing consciousness that arises or simply ‘seeing’ is the
næma. Actually, seeing is by the mind, not by the eyes. The
eyes are just instruments. The eyes cannot see. It is the
mind that sees.

When you are noting ‘hearing, hearing’, the sound and the
ears are rþpa and the hearing consciousness that arises is
næma. So mind-matter or næma-rþpa is everywhere. There
is no person, no individual and no ‘I’.

When one can clearly perceive the mind and matter or

næma and rþpa, one will achieve næma-rþpa pariccheda
ñæ¼a, that is the first insight to distinguish between mind
and matter. One will also achieve the third of the seven
purifications that is Purification of View (Di¥¥hi Visuddhi).

4th Visuddhi: Purification by overcoming doubts

(Ka³khæ vitara¼a visuddhi)
Then the meditators are advised to observe, whenever and
wherever possible, the intention in any one posture of the
four postures of activities. Like when one wants to change
from sitting to walking meditation. Before arising, please
note the intention to get up, note as ‘intention to get up,
intention to get up’, and then getting up. The meditator will
realise intention to get up is the cause and the body that is
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getting up is the result. The body cannot get up by itself. It

is like an inanimate object eg. a chair or table.

We are composed of mind and matter. As the mind dictates,

then the body has to move or act. The intention to act is the
cause and the bodily action later is the result. If one tries to
observe, whenever and wherever possible, the intention and
resultant action, one will be convinced of cause-effect or
momentary causation.

Similarly, when one is observing the six sense phenomena

i.e. seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and thinking;
in seeing, the visual object or sight seen as well as the eyes
are the cause, seeing consciousness that arises is the result.
When noting ‘hearing, hearing’, the sound heard and the
ears are the cause, while the ‘hearing’ or the hearing
consciousness is the result. So also, everywhere you can
identify cause-effect relationship.

There are three modes of cause-effect relationship.

1. Dependent Origination or Dependent Causation
(Pa¥icca samuppæda or pa¥icca samudaya)
2. Action causation (Kamma samudaya)
3. Momentary causation (Kha¼ika samudaya)

The momentary causation is what the meditators experienced

in their meditation. If one is thoroughly convinced of these
three modes of cause-effect relationships, then the second
insight paccaya pariggaha ñæ¼a that is the distinguishing
knowledge between cause and effect will arise. Then one will
overcome various doubts and achieve the fourth purification
that is purification by overcoming doubts (Ka³khæ vitara¼a
visuddhi).

When one goes on one’s spiritual journey by noting clearly the

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mind-matter phenomena that arise, one will clearly see the

three phases of a phenomenon. Any phenomenon has a
beginning, like when you see an athletics’ sports event. The
runners have to line up at a certain starting point, then they
start to run and after that is the actual running. When they
reach the goal, this is the end of their running. Any
phenomenon has the beginning, middle and end. In Pæ¹i they
are called trio of moments or uppæda (beginning), ¥hiti
(middle), bha³ga (ending).

For instance, when one is noting the abdomen rising and falling,
the rising has a beginning that is beginning to rise, then the
actual rising and finally the end of rising. This conditions the
abdomen to fall back. There are the beginning of falling, the
actual falling and the end of falling.

When one clearly perceives these three phases of phenomena,

then aniccænupassanæ ñæ¼a or insight wisdom of
impermanence will arise. The meditator realises that nothing is
constant or permanent.. Anything that arises, stays for a
moment and then it must cease. Or any phenomenon has a
beginning, middle and finally ending. What appears must
disappear, what arises must cease.

Everytime, we recite:
Sabbe sa³khæræ aniccæti,
Yadæ paññæya passati,
Atha nibbindati dukkhe,
Esa maggo visuddhiyæ

All compounded things are impermanent.

When one sees this with wisdom,
then one becomes disenchanted with unsatisfactorisness.
This is the path of purification.

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When we see that everything is impermanent, then the insight

wisdom of sammasana ñæ¼a which consists of
unsatisfactorisness (dukkhænupassanæ) and egolessness
(anattænupassanæ) will arise.

These three characteristics of impermanence, unsatisfactoriness

and egolessness are the characteristics of all phenomena. So the
samaññæ lakkha¼a or the universal characteristics of all
phenomena will arise. The meditator will obtain the next
insight knowledge of comprehension (sammasana ñæ¼a).

5th Visuddhi : Purification by knowledge and vision of what

is path and what is non-path (Maggæmagga ñæ¼a dassana
visuddhi)

When one goes on meditating, one will only be able to identify

the two phases of phenomena. The mind cannot clearly
perceive the middle part of phenomena, that is ¥hiti. The mind
can only perceive the beginning and ending. This is the arising
and passing away insight knowledge (udayabbaya ñæ¼a).

Supposing you are noting the sound as hearing, hearing, you

begin to hear and no more. Like you hear the clock chime, you
hear ‘thum..’, just a static moment which is not clear, then the
sound disappears. That means the arising and passing away of
hearing phenomenon is very clear to the mind. So this is
knowledge of arising and passing away.

This stage of arising and passing away knowledge (udayabbaya

¼æña) is very important to meditators, Before this stage,
meditators have strenuous struggles with the hindrances and
unpleasant feelings like aches and pain. Here, at this stage, the
pleasurable experiences will arise. Some wholesome states of
mind will arise. They are:

1. Light (Obhasa)

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2. Insight (Ñæ¼a)
3. Joy/Rapture (Pøti)
4. Calm/Serenity/Tranquil (Passaddhi)
5. Determination/Resolution (Adhimokkha)
6. Effort (Paggaha)
7. Happiness (Sukha)
8. Awareness (Upa¥¥hæna)
9. Equanimity (Upekkha)
10. Delight (Nikanti)

One will see light or brightness(obhasa) in one’s meditation

which will give one elation. The second is insight or ñæ¼a.
When the meditator mindfully contemplates his meditation
objects, he can clearly see the insights or the ultimate truths.
Like when a yogi is noting rising and falling of the abdomen,
he can report ‘Rising and falling is just taking place and the
mind is noting as if someone is watching.’ So he can clearly
perceive næma-rþpa as two different things.

As in the Satipa¥¥hæna Sutta, a yogi is said to have mindfulness

(sati) and clear comprehension (sampajañña) when noting the
object. The mindfulness and clear comprehension of the object
is so vivid that one gets full satisfaction of the noting. The
result is one is at ease, comfortable and without pain and
hardship. So this insight or ñæ¼a becomes so vivid and clear
thus bringing joy or rapture to the person. That is the third
pleasurable mental state, i.e. pøti or joy will arise.

The Pæ¹i word Pøti has many different translations like

happiness, peacefulness and so on. Its actual meaning as
recorded in the Abhidhamma is delightful interest in the object.
The reason is when one clearly sees the truth, or face-to face
with the ultimate truth, one becomes elated and emotionally
glad.

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When the pøti subsides or weakens, the mind becomes calm

and serene. This is another wholesome mental state called
passaddhi. After that, the meditator will enjoy sukha. Sukha
also has many different translations like happiness,
peacefulness, delight and so on. It is best to use the Pæ¹i word
sukha. Sukha means the comfort and ease when one meditates.
For example, one can sit for hours without feeling any
exhaustion or discomfort. Mind is always alert and taking
interest in the object because one is seeing the truth. In fact one
is enjoying his meditation and never feels bored. Mind is not
influenced by sloth-torpor but always keen and delightful in his
meditation. This is the state of sukha.

After the sukha mental state is adhimokkha or determination or

resolution. Since one is convinced by the truth and the benefits
one is getting from his meditational effort, then in his mind,
there will be an automatic resolution or determination to
continue his meditation or to make more effort to reach his
determination and gain his aspiration.

The next mental state is paggaha. As one makes a resolution or

determination to meditate, one makes secondary effort. The
example given here is the ‘second wind’ in the sports events. In
a marathon or long-distance running, the athletics start by
running at regular control speed which means with regular
strive and regular effort. The reason is not to exhaust
themselves before reaching their destination.

However, when they see the goal (destination place), they

make secondary effort to gain first position. This second effort
is called ‘second’ wind in sports terminology. Because of one’s
satisfaction in one’s meditation, one makes resolution to exert
more effort. This effort is called paggaha in Pæ¹i.

This paggaha will lead to upa¥¥hæna or awareness. In every

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noting, the awareness becomes so clear, vivid, easy and

comfortable. For example, in the Buddha’s time and in ancient
India, people used bullock cart for travelling. If the bullocks of
the same strength, age and built were drawing the cart, the
driver needed no extra effort. He just held on to the reins and
sat back comfortably, as if the two animals were carrying the
carts by their own efforts. Or driving a car on good, smooth
road and without any traffic, you don’t need to make any effort,
just sit back, relax and enjoy yourself.

So everything you note is so vivid and the effort is comfortable

and easy. The awareness is very clear and convincing. This
awareness is upa¥¥hæna.

Then this awareness will lead one to equanimity or upekkhæ.

This stage of insight is equanimity to all formations or
sa³khærupekkha ñæ¼a. Usually good experiences happen at this
stage Even if bad or unpleasant experience like hot weather or
disturbance by insects, one can face them without any mental
disturbance.

The last or tenth is nikanti or delight. When the experiences are

so vivid, so convincing, so extraordinary and so comfortable,
one gets elated and one’s ego maybe inflated. We have to be
careful. One can be led astray by the nine extraordinary
experiences as stated above, and one can think that one has
already attained enlightenment. Some people even proclaim
that they have achieved something. That can hinder the
progress of meditation.

If we can clearly understand these ten mental factors, only

nikanti is the real mental defilement. But these ten are called
Vipassanæ-upakkilesa or vipassanþpakkilesa. They are
defilements during the Vipassanæ practice or Insight meditation.
Actually except for nikanti, the rest are all good mental states.
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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

However if a meditator delights in and enjoys these mental

states or extraordinary experiences and do not want to continue
his meditation, then these mental states will hinder his progress.
That’s why they are called vipassanþpakkilesa.

A meditator must clearly understand that enjoying these

extraordinary experiences is not the correct path. He must
understand that whatever good or bad experiences, good or bad
objects, his duty is to keep on observing the phenomena
happening at the present moment. If he continues noting, he
will gain the fifth purification, i.e. Purification by knowledge
and vision of what is path and what is non-path (Maggæmagga
ñæ¼a dassana visuddhi). ‘What is path’ or the right path means
a meditator’s duty is to keep on noting the phenomena taking
place. Enjoying his extraordinary and good experience and
thinking that he has achieved some kind of attainments is
‘What is non-path’ or the wrong path.

6th Visuddhi: Purification by knowledge and vision of the

path progress (Pa¥ipadæ ñæ¼a dassana visuddhi)

After realising Maggæmagga ñæ¼a dassana visuddhi, one

continues his practice to gain the nine upper levels of insights.
There are:
1. Arising and passing knowledge (udayabbaya ñæ¼a)
2. Dissolution knowledge (bha³ga ñæ¼a)
3. Fearfulness knowledge (bhaya ñæ¼a)
4. Misery knowledge (ædønava ñæ¼a)
5. Disenchantment knowledge (nibbidæ ñæ¼a)
6. Aspire for deliverance knowledge (muñcitu-kamyatæ
ñæ¼a)
7. Reflective contemplation knowledge (pa¥isankhæ ñæ¼a)
8. Equanimity to all formations knowledge
(sa³khærupekkhæ ñæ¼a)
9. Conformity knowledge (anuloma ñæ¼a)

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 Seven Stages of Purification and
Ten Imperfections in the Vipassanæ practice

One will have clear vision and insight of the sixth

purification of Pa¥ipada ñæ¼a dassana visuddhi, that is
purification by knowledge and vision of the path progress.

7th Visuddhi: Purification by knowledge and vision (ñæ¼a

dassana visuddhi)

After that will be gotrabhu ñæ¼a that is the change of

lineage from mundane to supramundane state, path
knowledge (magga ñæ¼a) and fruition knowledge (phala
ñæ¼a) of the first enlightenment (sotæpanna). This is
followed by the reviewing knowledge (paccavekkhana
ñæ¼a). The meditator reviews the path, fruition and
Nibbæna. He will also review the defilements abandoned
and the defilements remaining.

As one goes on meditating, one will gain path and fruition

of second enlightenment (sakadægæmø), path and fruition of
third enlightenment (anægæmø) and finally path and fruition
of arahanthood.

How to achieve these seven visuddhis?

The commentaries cited the discussion that took place
between Særiputta Mahæthera and Venerable Pu¼¼a
Mantæ¼iputta (son of the Brahmin lady Mantæ¼i). Særiputta
Mahæthera was foremost in wisdom while Venerable
Pu¼¼a was an arahant with four analytical knowledges.
Whenever these two theras met, they always had Dhamma
discussion.

Særiputta Mahæthera asked the Mantæ¼iputta Mahæthera,

‘Why do you renounce the worldly life and join the Sangha
order? Is it for Nibbæna?”. Mantæ¼iputta Mahæthera’s
answer in brief is, “It is for the purification of virtue. The
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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

purpose of purification of virtue is for the purification of

the mind. The purification of the mind is for purification of
view and so on until the last visuddhi.”

A simile is given here. King Pasenadi of Kosala had to

travel from his palace in Sævatthø to Sæketa. The distance
was about 70 km away. In those days, there were no cars.
So the kings had to use stagecoach drawn by thoroughbred
horses. If they used only one stagecoach for the whole
stretch of the journey, then the horses would be exhausted
and there would be delay on the way.

So the journey was divided into seven relay stations. From

his palace, the king took the first coach. After 10 km at the
first stop, the king would change to the next stagecoach and
continue his journey. At the next stop, the king would
change to the next stagecoach again and so on. Using this
method, the journey would be comfortable and not wasting
any time.

Conclusion
When a meditator starts to practise, some are very
enthusiastic to achieve Nibbæna straightaway. Nibbæna can
be achieved if we go step by step. Even in worldly
education, we cannot straightaway attend the final
graduation class. We start with primary education,
secondary and high school education and then college or
university education.

As the above simile stated, one should try to achieve

purification of virtue, and after making sure that your virtue
is perfectly pure, you strive for purification of mind. When
you achieve purification of mind, you strive to obtain
purification of view and so on. The commentaries stated
that the meditators should make emphasis on step by step
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 Seven Stages of Purification and
Ten Imperfections in the Vipassanæ practice

process for the seven purifications.

By doing so, may the meditators reach their goal of

Nibbæna, attaining cessation of all sufferings and ultimate
permanent peace in the near future.

Sædhu! Sædhu! Sædhu!

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Seven Stages of Purification (Visuddhi) and 16 Insight

Wisdom (Vipassanæ ñæ¼a)
Purification Practice
1. Purification of virtue or Observing precepts
morality (Søla Visuddhi)
2. Purification of mind Temporary suppression of hindrances or mental
(Citta Visuddhi) defilements (nøvara¼as)
3. Purification of view (Di¥¥hi 1. Distinguish between mind and matter
Visuddhi) knowledge (Næma-rþpa pariccheda ñæ¼a)
4. Purification by overcoming 2. Distinguish between cause and effect
doubts knowledge (Paccaya pariggaha ñæ¼a)
(Ka³khæ vitara¼a visuddhi)
5.Purification by knowledge 3. Comprehension knowledge
and vision of path and non- (Sammasana ñæ¼a)
path (Maggæmagga dassana 4. Arising and passing away knowledge
ñæ¼a visuddhi) (Udayabbaya ñæ¼a) (tender phase)
6.Purification by knowledge 4. Arising and passing away knowledge
and vision of the path progress (Udayabbaya ñæ¼a) (mature phase)
(Pa¥ipadæ ñæ¼a dassana – has overcome 10 Vipassanþpakkilesas
visuddhi) 5. Dissolution knowledge (Bha³ga ñæ¼a)
6. Fearfulness knowledge (Bhaya ñæ¼a)
7. Misery knowledge (Ædønava ñæ¼a)
8. Disenchantment knowledge (Nibbidæ ñæ¼a)
9. Aspire for deliverance knowledge
(Muñcitu-kamyatæ ñæ¼a)
10. Reflective contemplation knowledge
(Pa¥isankhæ ñæ¼a)
11.Equanimity to all formations knowledge
(Sa³khærupekkhæ ñæ¼a)
12. Conformity knowledge (Anuloma ñæ¼a)
<between 6 and 7 purification> 13. Change of lineage knowledge
(Gotrabhu ñæ¼a)
7.Purification by knowledge 14. Path knowledge (Magga ñæ¼a)
and vision 15. Fruition knowledge (Phala ñæ¼a)
(Ñæ¼a dassana visuddhi) 16. Reviewing knowledge (Paccavekkhana ñæ¼a)
Other higher paths and fruitions knowledge

118
 Appendix One：Mind-matter

Conventional Ultimate truth

concept (Paramattha)
(Paññatti)

Body /matter(Rþpa)

-Earth (Pathavø)
Sentient -Water (Æpo) Four Great
beings -Fire (Tejo) Elements
-Wind (Væyo)

Mind (Næma)
-Feeling (Vedanæ) Mental
-Perception(Saññæ) concommitants
-Mental formations (cetasika)
(Sa³khæra)
-Consciousness(Viññæ¼a) Mind(Citta)

Five aggregates(pañcupædænakkhandhæ)
1. Matter (Rþpa)
2. Feeling (Vedanæ)
3. Perception (Saññæ)
4. Mental formations (Sa³khæra)
5. Consciousness (Viññæ¼a)

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Appendix Two:
Characteristics of Four Great Eements:
1. Earth (Pathavø): Hard, soft, rough, smooth, heavy, light

2. Water (Æpo) : Trickling (flowing), cohesion

3. Fire (Tejo) : Hot, warm, cold

4. Wind (Væyo) : Distension (supporting), motion

12 Æyatana
(6 internal bases and corresponding 6 external objects)
Internal External Medium Corresponding
base Object Consciousness
Eye Sight Light Seeing
consciousness
Ear Sound Space Hearing
consciousness
Nose Smell Wind Smelling
consciousness
Tongue Taste Water Tasting
consciousness
Body Tangible - Touching
object consciousness
Mind dhamma - Mind
(mental consciousness
objects)

120
Appendix Three: Summary of Four Foundations of
Mindfulness (Satipa¥¥hæna)
(1) Contemplation of the body (Kayænupassanæ)
(a) Watching in-and-out breath (Ænæpæna)
(b) The four postures (Iriyæpatha)
(c) Mindfulness and clear awareness (Sampajæna)
(d) Reflection on Repulsiveness
(Pa¥ikkþla-manasikæra)
(e) The four elements (Dhætu-manasikæra)
(f) Cemetery Meditation (Navasøvathikæ)

(2) Contemplation of feelings (Vedanænupassanæ)

(a) Pleasant (Sukha)
(b) Unpleasant (Dukkha)
(c) Neither pleasant nor unpleasant(Adukkhamasukha)
(3) Contemplation of mind (Cittænupassanæ)
(a) Lustful / Not Lustful (saræga/vøtaræga)
(b) Hateful / Not Hateful (sadosa/vøtadosa)
(c) Deluded / Not Deluded (samoha/vøtamoha)
(d) Contracted / Distracted (sa³khitta/vikkhitta)
(e) Developed / Undeveloped(mahaggata/amahaggata)
(f) Surpassed / Unsurpassed (sa-uttara/anuttara)
(g) Concentrated / Unconcentrated
(samæhita/asamæhita)
(h) Liberated / Unliberated (vimutta/avimutta)

(4) Contemplation of mind-objects (Dhammænupassanæ)

(a) The Five Hindrances (Nøvara¼a)
(b) The Five Aggregates (Khandha)
(c) The Six Sense Bases (Æyatana)
(d) The Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjha³ga)
(e) The Four Noble Truths (Sacca)

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

Lists of Donors 捐助者名单

We appreciate the kind generosity of the donors. May all beings
share in the merits accrued through this publication.
我们赞赏信众的慷慨捐助。愿所有众生从出版此书和 CD的法施
中，分享功德。
The below fund is collected for publishing Sayadaw Dr. Sunanda’s
books and CDs:
1. Questions and Answers – Series 3 book (English Version)
-3000 copies
2. Questions and Answers – Series 3 book (Chinese Version)
-3000 copies
3. Compilation of Dhamma Talks and Questions & Answers CD
2008-2009- Part 2 (English version)
-1000cds
4. Compilation of Dhamma Talks and Questions & Answers CD
2008-2009- Part 2 by (Chinese version)
-1000cds
5. Compilation of Dhamma Talks and Questions & Answers CD
2008-2009- Part 1 (English version)
-reprint 1000cds

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

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 Questions and Answers – Series 3

*Sabba Dænam Dhammadænam Jinati*

*The Gift Of Dhamma Surpasses All Gifts*

*一切布施中，以法施为最上*

May the merits be shared with all the departed ones

and all sentient beings.

May all beings rejoice in the merits of this

Dhamma-dæna.

愿将这功德与我们的亲友和一切众生分享

愿一切众生欢喜这佛法布施的功德
128