The Path to Nibbana

by David C Johnson

  Science already says there is no self; there are only bodily and mental elements and nothing else. But other scientists still argue that there must be a deeper self or soul that does exist — it is just beyond what they can measure. Real insight into the psychophysical process is defined by actually believing the data you observe. In other words, researchers say there are only neurons firing inside a mass of gray matter, and thus there can be no real soul there. Yet, these scientists don’t even believe their own data and still think there is an underlying soul present. Habitual opinions run deep.

  We will see that the actual fuel behind the mental movement is craving. There is a bodily process going on and a mental one. The bodily parts of this process are the chemicals in the brain reacting together — this is the body. The result of the chemical reaction is consciousness which is mind-body, and mind.

  Arising from where? We don't know while we are observing it, but the Buddha does explain this. It’s about karma and its results — the residue of past unwholesome or wholesome actions which was caused by the breaking or keeping the precepts. The mental process just arises from conditions that are there. This is seen by direct knowledge.

  Through an experiential understanding of these insights, mind itself is changed. Understanding is the reason. Craving ceases, some neurons don't fire, and “you” (craving) doesn’t come into being.

  You hear that your favorite uncle has died. Previously you would have been distraught, but now, because you see the true nature of things, you start to understand that everything does die — and that’s ok. It isn’t unexpected; it is part of life.

  Neuroscientists can observe how the brain works, but only understanding attained by direct experience can fundamentally change the conditioned reaction in the brain.

  It is doubtful that observing electrical readouts on a fMRI monitor (functional MRI – measures blood and oxygen levels in the brain) will ever lead to awakening. Why? Because only direct experience can give us deep insight into how things really work.

  The Buddha said: "All mental phenomena have mind as their forerunner…"[xiv] Thus, we must look at mind first and see this clearly; then we will understand the interplay between mind and body. When we see this properly, we see the impersonal aspect of the process at that time. Delusion is eliminated because we understand that there was never anyone there in the first place to experience the “I like it” or “I don’t like it” mind. This is what delusion means. We know that self is only a concept. And it is the supreme concept!

  Listing of the Jhānas and the Meditation Object

  First Jhāna

  Loving-Kindness (Mettā)

  Second Jhāna

  Loving-Kindness (Mettā)

  Third Jhāna

  Loving-Kindness (Mettā)

  Fourth Jhāna

  Loving-Kindness (Mettā)

  Base of Infinite Space

  Compassion (Karuṇā)

  Base of Infinite Consciousness

  Joy (Muditā)

  Base of Nothingness

  Equanimity (Upekkhā)

  Base of Neither-Perception-nor-Non-Perception

  Clear Mind

  Chapter Fourteen: The Door to Nibbāna

  As you continue sitting, there will be the experience of strong stillness and balance happening, and you will be able to sit for long periods of time without many distractions arising. The mental activity is very quiet. Notice especially the movement of attention in your head. Remember your brain is the seat of the mind and tension and tightness are arising right there. Release and relax in one gentle motion. Just a touch of the 6Rs is enough. Back away quickly from any movement of mind. It can even be the slightest sensation that draws your attention. Relax right then.

  At this stage, mind will be serene and bright. There is a brightness of mind with clear, energetic mindfulness. You are progressing well. You easily see anything arising. You relax into any distractions and 6R automatically. Your mind simply has no thoughts, and your attention never wanders.

  The subtlest links of dependent origination will start to appear in your awareness. First, there are the consciousnesses arising from the deep inner mind. Then even deeper are the formations which are the cause of those consciousnesses. You are not this phenomenon arising. Don’t identify with it. It is craving. Now, just peace of mind without these vibrations and movements of mind, is what you are now finding more desirable. There is less suffering in this quiet, tranquil mind. Less is better.

  What are formations? They are defined as bodily, verbal and mental formations. They are very small movements. They are the potentials of actions to arise and not the full-fledged results. These are the little “seeds” out of which consciousness arises. These, in turn, lead to mentality-materiality, and then to the arising of the sense bases. Then, with contact, they explode into conscious awareness.

  We won’t mention here how they appear because we want you to tell the teacher what you think you are seeing. The teacher will decide if you are right. We don’t want to put any expectation here. It is important for you to see deeply on your own without preconceptions. If there is no teacher available, it still doesn’t matter as to whatever arises; the instruction is to always 6R and go back to your meditation object. You still must let go of everything.

  When you see what you think are the formations or some deeper links, 6R them as you would any other phenomena. By 6Ring any link that arises, this will uncover the next link deeper in the chain. We are removing tension and tightness from the craving in the links as they arise — and when we do, this reveals the next deeper part. How do you 6R ignorance? You don’t. It is an understanding of the four noble truths.

  In Sutta MN 128 “Imperfections,” the Buddha states that the meditator may have the brightness and light fall away. What would be the reason for the loss of brightness? But, of course, it would be those pesky hindrances arising! They are dark clouds gathering over this bright clear mind. Sometimes mind is so clear that it can be described as “luminous.”

  Many times, sitting in this state restlessness might come up since there is not much to observe. You may want something to watch and might want to start to control things. Boredom can arise, along with a corresponding lessening of mindfulness. Because of this, the light recedes. Balancing the factors of energy — tranquility, mindfulness, and the other awakening factors — once again will bring that radiant mind back.

  Continue to use a clear mind as your object of meditation. If your mindfulness is strong, there will mostly be the quiet. Now and then some slight activity will arise. Mind will start to vibrate, and there will be a pulling away from the quiet mind — this balanced still-point where your awareness resides. 6R right then and come back to the quiet.

  Your object of meditation continues to be that quiet mind itself. Be on the lookout for any activity that arises. If you feel you are losing the quiet, you can bring up that feeling of stillness and notice this. When your mind quiets down again, then you can let go of that feeling and go back to just observing and relaxing into mind’s subtle movements.

  The Neutral Zone

  Gradually, even the smallest bits of mental activity will subside. It will be as if there is nothing to 6R at all. You may get restless and want to get up. It is like you feel there is nothing left to do. Do not do that. 6R that restlessness and keep sitting! Now is the time for patience and persistence. Very little happens. You have to be okay with that. Mind will settle down more and more if you just continue. You might not even realize progress is being made, but it is.

  If restlessness or any hindrance starts to get the upper hand just observe with the intention, “I don’t care what happens next; my job is just to observe what is there.”

  You will see the subtlest aspects of mind. In it are the seeds, or potentials, that ultimately lead to birth, old age, and death.

  The teacher will ask questions to find out what you are seeing. You will be advised to be very watchful as to how the movements arise and how they appear. An
d you should not take them personally! They are not “your” movements arising; they just are phenomena coming from mind. We don’t know why and we don’t care; our only job is to allow and relax into them as they fade away.

  It is important for mindfulness and tranquility to continue to develop so that these very slight phenomena can be seen and understood. Eventually, you will see all of the links except Ignorance (which is just something that you will come to understand), and, as well, you will see all the Four Noble Truths.

  You are working your way backward, letting go of each link by going deeper and deeper. You will see the link mentality-materiality, and continue backward to consciousness, and then the formations. You will be advised to 6R these objects when they appear, uncovering the next link. There is the separate and big craving link itself, after feeling and before clinging, in the twelve links, but there is also a small amount of craving in each individual link, keeping the wheel of Samsarā turning. You will be able to see all of that. You will see the entire process of mind.

  As you 6R deeper and deeper, you will be advised to keep backing away from each object that arises. Every time there is a sound, the chain of dependent origination fires off, and you will want to 6R all of that. Look at the links arising closer and closer to see how each tiny part of it arises. There is craving there to let go.

  You need to let everything that arises come by itself; don’t look for it. In this way, you can see how there might be a craving to go look for more experience.

  Your mind constantly wants to go forward and, like Pac-Man, engage in more and more senses to see what is there — to live more, to experience more. This happens because whatever is experienced passes away. So, mind is constantly looking for more to replace the phenomena that have just passed. See if you can see this jumping from object to object by taking a mental standpoint of a full-stop. Just mentally standing still and letting all experience pass through your imperturbable state of mind which doesn’t react, not even to the slightest puff of vibration.

  We are exiting this roundabout existence (saṃsāra). We do this by letting go, by seeing clearly each link as it arises, and by seeing it as impersonal, impermanent, and unsatisfactory.

  MN: 111 section 18. Cont. “So indeed, these states, not having been, come into being; having been, they vanish. Regarding those states, he abided unattracted, unrepelled, independent, detached, free, dissociated, with a mind rid of barriers. He understood: 'There is an escape beyond,' and with the cultivation of that attainment, he confirmed that there is.”

  Disenchantment

  While in this quiet and clear state of mind, there comes first the knowledge of Disenchantment. Up to now, you have continued to observe phenomena arising and passing away with some interest. You notice you are getting deeper, so you keep going. There is less and less to 6R as you go along. Mind becomes quieter and quieter.

  As you continue, you notice this constant arising and passing away of objects. You notice the silent space between the objects that arise and pass away. You think to yourself, “What if I could get rid of these objects coming and going? Then there would be just the peace.” You think that then there would be only silence and not all these annoying objects and vibrations. You see the lack of ease as suffering.

  This trying to control has an aspect of longing in it. Wanting to have something happen is the very thing that will stop it. The teacher will remind the student that their job is simply to observe.

  You realize that now you are beginning to develop a whole new perspective on the world. You had never thought that the lack of mental activity would be good, but now you do! You see that any mental activity and movement is unsatisfactory; silence is better. Now you see any vibration, and even any consciousness, as unsatisfactory. You even try to stop things from arising and you can’t! You were never in control at all; it just keeps coming!

  Your mind starts to go toward silence, but there is a problem. The mental stream doesn’t stop and just keeps on rolling. A subtle sort of observation arises: “I am really tired of these sensations disturbing my peace of mind.” Dissatisfaction arises along with the realization that it would be best to see all these arising phenomena just stop, “let me, please have some peace.” You are starting to become disenchanted.

  You look for a reason why these constant sensations and mental objects arise, but there seems to be none. If you could find the reason, then you might be able to understand why it comes, or a way to turn it off. You want to analyze and solve the problem, but you don’t see a solution.

  Finally, you just give up looking. Interest in watching this constant stream starts to wane. You realize there really is no end to it. This is an arising state of knowledge about your mind and the life process: It will never end. There is no peace here.

  You are energetic, continually watching every little vibration, thought form, etc., and you can be very determined to relax and let go of everything that arises. By doing that, you think you will get to the end of the process — but it doesn’t work.

  You now understand all that arises to be a disturbance. It upsets the quiet state of mind that you are starting to enjoy — enjoy not in a craving sort of way but with appreciation. You are starting to relish the quiet. You understand that balance is better than chasing more objects. This realization will lead to contentment; contentment will arise without the cascade of vibrations and movements constantly assaulting you.

  You may have some desire for Nibbāna to arise and might think you are close. Then you might put too much energy in and start to lean into the future, hoping for the attainment to arise. You need to 6R this desire. This is the arising of more craving. This is longing.

  You may think that you need to have the desire to reach the goal. No, you have already pointed your mind there. Let the meditation do the rest. You make a determination about getting somewhere, and then you just go. You don’t think about the destination the whole time you are on the way there. You just continue, trusting that it will happen as planned because you are on the right path. This is determination.

  Is the desire for Nibbāna something that we should not have? In these final sessions of sitting before attaining awakening, we need to let go of even the desire for Nibbāna. When we first start, however, we won’t even begin the meditation without some intentional desire to get us on the path. So, it is a positive desire, a wholesome desire. Because, after all, it is a desire for no desire. It is not like a desire for chocolate ice cream or a new car. It is a desire to stop and be still and know peace. This kind of wholesome desire is called chanda in Pāli.

  As was stated above, you don’t know how to stop this stuff from coming and coming. You want it to stop. There is nothing but vibration at all different levels. Now you see peace as a more desirable goal. Now you wish to be void of these sensations.

  Finally, there comes the point where you just stop caring about all these arising phenomena. You can’t command this stream to stop. You start to give up and see that by paying heed to the phenomena, you are feeding them. They will never stop if you are interested in what is there. You realize that all this movement and vibration is disturbing your collectedness and peace.

  Mind now becomes disinterested in what arises, and there is a deeper feeling of disenchantment. There are endless arisings. This is suffering. This is dukkha, which is Pāli for suffering or dis-ease. The Buddha said the First Noble Truth of existence is suffering. Now you see it. You see how you pay attention to and like and dislike everything that arises, thereby keeping it going through craving — the Second Noble Truth. Now you see the goal — the Cessation of Craving is the cessation of suffering, the third noble truth.

  Dispassion

  This leads to an even deeper letting go: dispassion arises. Disenchantment made you more and more aware of how your interest in these things just leads to more suffering; now you just don’t care anymore. It doesn’t matter what comes or goes. Your mind draws back; it doesn’t look outward anymore. Everything that arises is o
kay; it doesn’t matter. It no longer pulls your attention. You know you can’t stop it. You don’t even care about Nibbāna anymore.

  This is a state where there are no more hindrances. Your mind has just stopped throwing up obstacles. It has no more interest in any arising experience now. You no longer try to control anything. You are now close to the unconditioned! Why? Because you don’t care.

  Through disenchantment with all conditioned existence, a wholly balanced mind arises. It neither likes nor dislikes. There are only consciousnesses and mental objects arising and passing away. There is no interest in any of it. It is just there. There is now the tendency toward deep peace of mind. Your mind now has barely any movement at all. You are very aware and very energetic, but again it’s like nothing is happening, and the thought comes up where you wonder if you should do anything. The answer is definitely no. Just observe. See that very question arising in your mind as impersonal and 6R it.

  It is just a matter of time, watching and observing carefully for any movement like flickers, lights or just vibrations. The 6Rs are on automatic, and you aren’t putting in much effort — it just rolls off in front of you. You will observe this lack of hindrances, but it won't make you excited — it is just part of what is happening. It is nonetheless amazing! To have no unwholesome states at all; to be free of craving completely. This realization has all come through your own deep insights into watching yourself coming into and out of existence.

  When dispassion arises, you will be very close. You think there is nothing left to do because there is nothing to 6R, so you want to get up and do something else. There are no more barriers to the meditation. Why continue? You think everything has been completed.