The Path to Nibbana
Page 17
Vimalaraṁsi, Bhante. Meditation Is Life, Life Is Meditation. Annapolis, MO: Dhamma Sukha, 2014.
Vimalaraṁsi, Bhante. Breath of Love. Jakarta, Indonesia: Ehipassiko Foundation, 2012.
Vimalaraṁsi, Bhante. Moving Dhamma. Vol. 1. Annapolis, MO: Dhamma Sukha, 2012.
Vimalaraṁsi, Bhante. A Guide to Tranquil Wisdom Meditation (TWIM). Annapolis, MO: Dhamma Sukha, 2016.
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Addendums
Following are two books by Bhante Vimalaraṁsi:
A Guide to Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation (TWIM)
A Guide to Forgiveness Meditation
A (Beginners) Guide to Tranquil Wisdom
Insight Meditation
Attaining Nibbāna
with the Earliest Buddhist Teachings
using Mindfulness of Loving-kindness
Bhante Vimalaraṁsi
with David Johnson
Copyright © 2015 Bhante Vimalaraṁsi.
All rights reserved.
Other books by Bhante Vimalaraṁsi:
The Dhamma Leaf Series, 2014
Meditation is Life, Life is Meditation, 2014
Moving Dhamma Volume 1, 2012
Breath of Love, 2011
For those who wish to experience
the Cessation of Suffering
through the Elimination of Craving
Introduction
The purpose of this guide is to help someone who is new to meditation,and the Buddha’s teachings walk the Buddha’s path to the destruction of Craving and the elimination of Ignorance. This guide will provide you with the basic meditation instructions for the practice of Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation (TWIM) as taught by Bhante Vimalaraṁsi. TWIM is the actual Brahmavihāras practice described in the suttas, and it includes the Divine Dwellings of Mindfulness of Lovingkindness (Mettā), Mindfulness of Compassion (Karuṇā), Mindfulness of Joy (Muditā), and Mindfulness of Equanimity (Upekkhā).
The Brahmavihāras are described by the Buddha in his earliest talks as recorded in the suttas of the Majjhima Nikāya[5]. The instructions in this guide are based on the suttas themselves and on commentaries that are consistent with the suttas. The instructions explain Right Effort — this is what we call the “6Rs”. The 6Rs will be explained in detail later.
Most Buddhist Mindfulness practices today tend to focus on the breath as the object of meditation. They only use Mettā and the Brahmavihāras as “side meditations” to help one with relaxation and as a way of “softening” the breath practice and of softening life in general.
However, the Buddha discussed the Mindfulness of Mettā practice many more times in the suttas than the Mindfulness of Breathing (Ānāpānasati) practice: only eight times for Mindfulness of Breathing and more than a hundred times for the Mindfulness of Lovingkindness.
Although many teachers today do not teach this or support this view, the Buddha did state that the Mettā and Brahmavihāras practice, on its own, will lead to the supreme attainment of Nibbāna. The sutta Accompanied by Lovingkindness in the Saṃyutta Nikāya (46:54(4)) makes this clear.[6]
Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation, using Mettā or the feeling of Lovingkindness as the object of meditation, has been found to be easier and to give faster results than using the Breath as the object of meditation. It includes a powerful warm and glowing feeling, which helps your practice because you enjoy doing it. When practicing this meditation, you are radiating Lovingkindness, and giving this feeling to others. This is building your generosity while simultaneously developing a greater sense of well-being and contentment. You are doing this not only while engaged in your formal sitting practice but also throughout your daily life experience. This creates momentum from the time you get up in the morning until the time you go to sleep. This continuous practice can be very conducive to fast progress.
TWIM includes an all-important step that is found in the suttas but is misunderstood or left out of most Buddhist Mindfulness practices these days. This step is the key to the attainment of Nibbāna! You will learn more about this later; this is the Relax Step.
This book is a guide to beginning practice. A deeper understanding of how TWIM works, descriptions of insights, levels of understanding that arise, and the sutta references that support this meditation are all beyond the scope of this booklet. The book Meditation is Life, Life is Meditation[7] provides that information in depth and detail. Other books like Breath of Love[8] and Moving Dhamma[9] also offer skillful guidance once you are deeper in the practice. A book by senior student Doug Kraft, Buddha’s Map[10], is another good reference for the concepts and experiences of TWIM.
What is Mindfulness?
The term “Mindfulness” has become commonplace these days and is often interpreted differently than what I believe was originally formulated by the Buddha.
You may have heard that Mindfulness is watching what arises, diving into it, and focusing firmly on it in order to understand the nature of what arises. The idea is that concentrating more closely and harder on the “object of meditation,” will ultimately yield profound insights.
However, that is not the Mindfulness that the Buddha taught; rather, that is called one-pointed concentration: absorbing your attention into an object.
As the Buddha learned from his experience and described in sutta 36 of the Majjhima Nikāya, the Mahāsaccaka Sutta, one-pointed concentration will quiet the mind temporarily, but it won’t lead to an understanding of suffering and the cause of suffering, or to Nibbāna. For that reason, the Buddha rejected absorption and one-pointed concentration practices. Most teachers today miss this very important point. Yet sutta 36 does spell it out. The Buddha rejected the teachings of Ālāra Kalama and Uddaka Rāmaputta—teachers of the most advanced concentration states of the time. He left their training to continue his search for yet another six years.
Here is a short, clear, and precise definition of Mindfulness as the Buddha taught it:
Mindfulness means to remember to observe
how mind’s attention moves
from one thing to another.
The first part of Mindfulness is to remember to watch the mind and remember to return to your object of meditation when you have wandered off. The second part of Mindfulness is to observe how mind’s attention moves from one thing to another.
Real insight is gained by watching how your mind interacts with things, as they arise—not by observing the things themselves. True mindfulness is remembering to observe how your mind moves and responds to what arises in the present moment.
With mindfulness, we can understand how things arise and pass away, from beginning to end. We do not care why things arise—that is the concern of psychologists and philosophers. We only care about how they arise and how they pass away—how the movement of mind’s attention happens during that entire process.
When mindfulness becomes strong, you start to understand what Craving really is. Craving is what pulls your mind away from your object of meditation. Tensions and tightness arise with sensations and thoughts. Craving is what starts the identification process in which you take something personally with an “I like it” or “I don’t like it” mind.
Mindfulness meditation is the process of observing how mind’s attention moves moment-to-moment. Mindfulness enables us to see clearly and precisely how the impersonal process of thoughts and sensations arises and passes away.[11] We identify with this process as ourselves; we take it personally. Seeing and understanding how mind’s attention moves from one thing to another, personalizing experience and creating an “I” as it goes, is one of the most important insig
hts of this practice. It develops an impersonal perspective on all arising phenomena and leads the meditator to see for themselves the true nature of existence. You finally answer the question, “Who (or what) am I?”
The other important facet of mindfulness, once we have remembered and observed is to catch ourselves when we get lost—to remember that we are supposed to meditate and have slipped away and to realize that we have to “come back home.” More on this as we explain the 6R process later.
Why do we practice Mettā?
As was said earlier, the Buddha talked about Mettā meditation far more frequently than he talked about Breath Meditation, and he made clear that Mettā meditation, as part of the Brahmavihāras, will lead to Nibbāna. Those are good enough reasons in and of themselves to incline us toward Mettā meditation. Nevertheless, there are other reasons as well.
First, using the suttas as the guide, Dhamma Sukha teaches Mindfulness of Breath (Ānāpānasati) differently than other techniques which are one-pointed. Breath practice that focuses and concentrates on the nose tip or belly is not found in the suttas. The Buddha never said to concentrate on the breath — he said to observe and to know what the breath is doing in the moment and to observe what mind’s attention was doing as we are breathing. As the mind starts to wander away, this is where we employ the 6Rs, to softly, without any pushing away, bring back our observation to the object of meditation.[12]
We would prefer that those meditators who have practiced Breath Meditation in the past use a completely different object of meditation. Otherwise, they may habitually revert back to the way they were taught, using what we very much consider “bad habits.” This can lead to confusion and a lack of progress. We prefer to avoid a practice that requires people to struggle against their old ways of practicing.
Second, we find that Mindfulness of Mettā and the practice of the Brahmavihāras is easier because of the comfortable feeling of Mettā. This is especially important for the beginner, because Breath Meditation may be difficult to master since it is more of a mental exercise. With Mindfulness of Mettā, because of its pleasant nature, you can also stay with your object longer, and it is more fun to do. It’s probably strange hearing that meditation can be fun!
Third, we have seen in actual practice that progress is much faster with Mettā because the feeling of Mettā itself is quite pleasant. Remember that this is a feeling meditation, and it is a pleasant, happy feeling.
Finally, Mettā meditation, again being a feeling meditation, distances you from any other “body”-based or sensation types of meditation which involve concentrating on parts of your body. It focuses on a feeling of loving-kindness. It avoids any “bad habits” that you might have picked up.
So, let’s get started!
Beginning Posture
Before meditating, it is helpful to find a relatively quiet place and to sit comfortably and upright.
Sitting cross-legged is not required, the full lotus is certainly not necessary. A sitting posture that is familiar to your body will be less distracting and more helpful than one in which you are uncomfortable or in pain. In the West, many meditators find sitting on the floor difficult. In that case, use a chair rather than causing yourself undue pain and discomfort. There is no “magic” in the floor.
Avoid leaning heavily back into the chair. Sit with your vertebrae stacked one on top of the other. The posture should be comfortable. The goals are to reduce any real physical cause of tension and pain and to improve alertness. We will have enough mental obstacles to keep us busy!
Beginning Lovingkindness Instructions
When you practice the Mindfulness of Lovingkindness meditation, begin by radiating loving and kind feelings to yourself. Remember a time when you were happy. When that happy feeling arises, it is a warm, glowing feeling.
Some of you may complain—we actually do hear this a lot—that you cannot recall any good memories. So then we ask, “Can you imagine holding a baby and looking into its eyes? Do you feel a loving feeling? When that baby smiles, do you?”
Another idea is to imagine holding a cute little puppy. When you look at the puppy, you naturally want to smile and play with him. The feeling you are creating is a warm, glowing, and sincere feeling radiating from your eyes, your mind, and your heart.
Once you have established this feeling, use this feeling to wish yourself happiness. “Just as I was happy then, may I be happy now.” Continue with phrases like “May I be peaceful,” “May I be happy,” “May I be calm.”
Do you know what it feels like to be peaceful and calm? Then put that feeling and yourself in the center of your heart and surround yourself with that happy feeling.
When that feeling fades, bring up another phrase to remind you of the feeling. “May I be tranquil,” “May I be content,” “May I be full of joy.” Now give yourself a big “heart hug.” Really and sincerely, wish yourself to be happy! Love yourself and mean it. This feeling is your object of meditation.
Each time the feeling fades, repeat the wish verbally a few times in your mind. Just repeat it enough times to bring up the feeling—do not make it a mantra! Saying a phrase over and over will not bring up the feeling we want — the phrase just reminds us to bring the feeling up. When the feeling comes up we drop the phrase.
There are a number of other teachers who focus on just saying the phrases over and over, and that doesn’t work. That will just turn it into a concentration practice on the phrase.
Some people visualize easily; others do not. It is not important that you clearly see your object of meditation. Just know it is there. Keep the feeling of yourself in the center of your chest, wrapped in this happy and content feeling.
And, we do mean really feel good! Feel peaceful, or calm, or loving, or gentle, or kind, or giving, or joyful, or clear, or tranquil, or accepting. Be okay sitting and feeling this. It’s okay to feel good, let yourself be there in the present, just feeling this contentment.
You have nowhere to go; you are on a little vacation from life now. There is nothing to do other than to be happy and radiate that feeling to yourself. Can you do that? Don’t try to be happy. Be happy! Be content. Be at peace—right here, right now. You have our permission to be happy for at least the next thirty minutes!
This is a feeling meditation, but don’t over observe the center of your chest trying to bring up a feeling of Lovingkindness. Don’t force a feeling where there isn’t one. Don’t put the cart before the horse. Smile and feel that smile all through your body. As you say the phrases, bring this feeling up, and it will resonate in your heart area on its own. Sincerely wish yourself happiness. Believe it, and know that you do wish happiness for yourself. Just be with this feeling, know it is there, and smile with it.
There may be some blocks that come up such as saying to yourself, “No, I don’t deserve to be happy like this!” This aversion to your own happiness is a distraction. Distractions will be covered shortly. We will explain the method to deal with them so that you can allow and train yourself to feel real Lovingkindness for a longer period of time.
Later, when you begin feeling this feeling toward others, know that similar blocks may come up and that these are distractions too. There is no reason that others should not be happy as well. The goal is to first accept and allow yourself to be happy and peaceful. It’s okay. Then, since you feel that happiness in your own mind you will be happy to share that feeling with other beings.
When you sit, please don’t move. Don’t wiggle your toes; don’t twitch or itch; don’t rub; don’t scratch; don’t rock back and forth. Don’t change your posture at all. Sit as still as the monk below. When you sit still the mind calms down. If there is any movement at all the mind will be distracted — just as jello sets up, it must be cooled and not jiggled around to solidify.
Smiling
This is a smiling meditation. The reason that you should smile is because it has been found that when the corners of your mouth go up, so does your mental state. When the corners of your
mouth go down, so does your mental state.[13]
Put a little smile on your lips, but don’t stop there. Put a smile in your eyes even though your eyes are closed. You’ll notice there can be a lot of tension in the eyes. Put a smile in your mind. And, especially, put a smile in your heart.
It can be a mechanical smile at first—eventually, it will turn into a sincere happy feeling. It should be a smile that conveys Lovingkindness. It’s important to believe it! Smile with your lips, smile from your mind, and smile from your heart!
If your mind wanders away twenty-five times in a sitting, and twenty-five times you recognize it, release it, relax, re-smile, and return to your meditation, then you’ve had a good meditation. It definitely might not be a quiet and calm meditation, but it is an active meditation, and that can still be a good meditation!
Every time your mind wanders away and comes back, and you relax and smile, you are developing your ability to see a distraction and let it go. You are improving your Mindfulness, your observation power. As you practice, you will get better at it, and your powers of observation will get stronger.
Distractions
While you practice Mettā meditation in this way, your mind is going to wander. What do we mean by wander? You are with your object of meditation, which is the warm glowing feeling in the center of your chest. You are experiencing this feeling; then you are distracted by some thought or sensation. It might be a sensation of itching, a desire to cough, a burning sensation, or a painful feeling in your leg. It might be a memory of a conversation with a friend or of a trip to the lake. Or it could be a thought about something you need from the store.