Words can accomplish only a fragment of experience. Generally the precision that one can 'experience' is lost in rendering an experience to language. You cant even write a mathematical formula if you don’t pick variables. One cant say 'everything', by definition.
Having said that, I see the limitation of each post I write, half-experiences:)
Now, this post that I write is a follow-up to the post Quality of Mind.
As you learn to concentrate (Samadhi), you see you are coming out of emotion mind-states. Even happiness is ‘emotion’.
Another things that came up:
One hasn’t really understood a concept unless it becomes Easy.
If you find something difficult, just understand it, difficult emotions need comprehension.
Difficult concepts in meditation become easy too. It is a matter of repeating your understanding, revising your understanding, testing your understanding more and more, until the truth shines. Effort, time, practice, repeated effort, until difficult/unfamiliar becomes easy!
Simple, isn’t it.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Letter to someone contemplating a Vipassana course/Being a Monk
Being a Monk
Being withdrawn from greed, hatred, and ill-will.
Buddha said it is easy to go in extremes.
People go on fast for days, weeks, months, some people give up homes and unfortunate things like that happen. It is easy to do this. It is easy to do this compared to the middle path. What is the middle path? To keep your mind balanced, to be in concentration and to be at ease. Your effort has to come from a base of strength and a base of 'knowing', mere sacrifice is not enough.
I remember many people exclaming, after coming out from Vipassana retreats, when they see someone in robes. Having had the taste of the real thing, they understand that becoming a monk may not lead you there, outer appearance, residence/kuti and even chanting may not help after a point. One needs real wisdom, wisdom that comes from a strong base of morality, concentration and wisdom. I was in outer Rishikesh, alone at that point, and I saw a young Hindu monk, bathing some distance from me in the Ganga. As he approached, I could see my mind was more free from lust and fear than his, who was the monk there?
Let me share a personal experience. I considered myself to be free from ideas of association with the other gender. Precisely as I was thinking thus, I saw birds mating, and I see my mind reacting. And the thoughts flashed through my mind...even if I go to the forest, oh dearie I cant escape Mara. (Mara is the lure)
It is very beneficial to have a wish to become a monk. But check yourself on these checkpoints:
What are you running from? You can not run from the world or from material things, as long as you breathe. Cant disrespect the need for these either. But you can turn from greed, ill-will and aversion, completely.
What if you find a true teacher? Be with the teacher, and learn with him. If you then give up the home and take to the forest for seclusion, and for study, and practice of meditation. Go ahead.
There is also suitability to become a monk. Are you in the right frame of mind. Do you feel positive and not dejected (from the world). Is the motive learning and humility and not some magical propaganda. And are you capable, healthy mind, able body, if you are young it helps. (say if u r below 25 you can expect results in this very life easily), also if you have the acumen, to grasp ideas easily,leading to Right View ...
For me, it has been difficult to practice in the world, I have gone on retreats. If I found an ideal monastry I will immediately be there. In fact, I tried. Being a woman is not easy. But I see I can practice being in this world, and come in touch with many many people, and spread dhamma. Its true I would have grown better in a more conducive environment. But many lay people have been able to make progress.
I have learnt something. Its about how dedicated you are, whether a monk in robes or no! Knowing the right concentration and being skillful in 37 factors of enlightenment
http://www.nic.fi/~laan/factors.htm
Metta
Being in the World and not of it!
Letter II
... I dont quite remember the age stuff. But also, its a convention. It is understood that for some people it took just minutes after they met the teacher to reach awakening. I heard of one monk who was around 90 years of age who took a few minutes during the time buddha* was teaching this technique himself. Age is mere convention. It is said to refer perhaps that you need an energised mind and body ... and after a point in meditation this energy becomes a factor. Factor in the sense that monks (anyone who practices, with morality, concentration and wisdom), can arouse energy even if the body is sick and so forth. Also people who have had some kind of experience and have been practicing a clean life take much less time to understand and practice, since they know what is material and that there is suffering in material pleasure, and there is release too. You will see what you call material as mere energy, but lets not go there right now.
Also, monks are able to witness mental phenomenon clearly. It is this awareness that helps one to come out of illusion (maya), and even as one resides in this world, one becomes not of it. This process starts with something very basic, like being aware of your posture, for physical phenomenon. Then as some teachers kindly suggest, being aware of the 'breath' which is kind of both mind and body-based phenomenon (you will discover in the course, nothing is to be believed, but lived). Then you start becoming aware of mind states, oh I feel ill-will, or jealousy, or fear, or displeasure, and then effectively, now my mind if free from ill-will, free from jealousy ...and so forth. Skillfully one observes any mind state that comes up with detachment, neither tagging it as good or bad. If anger comes up, you dont react to it, just observe it. Sometimes boredom comes and people start feeling sad, why they came to the course, why they are wasting time, it is important to understand even that as a mind-state, and to observe even that with detachment, neither good, nor bad. Mind keeps throwing u- GIGO. When one can observe skillfully without getting trapped by emotions, one can enter access concentration. Thats for now.
I wish to share another small thing. Sometimes you need refuge from the world to actually observe what is going on. When in college, I had recently come back from Vipassana and had no one to guide me in it. I sometimes wanted to practice longer. I remember sitting for six hours one day and getting up feeling light. I read years and years later that some monks in Burma can sit for three hours, even four six hours (some sit for 24). But I could see people exclaiming at even three hour sitting. So, yes, you sometimes need refuge and do these things. I practice regularly, and go out only when I have to. I dont watch tv at all, I think I cant find time for it. So being a monk is more of a personal decision. The world doesnt have to partake, no teacher has to rule, and no monastry has to be there, heart monastry.
Here is something that makes for a good read:
http://minddeep.blogspot.com/2010/10/monastery-within.html
Much lv
PoojaY
*Buddha: refers to a person who is fully enlightened. Avatar is a person who shines in some aspect of dhamma, say Harishchnadra for truth, or Nanak ...history is rife. Buddha is someone who has accomplished all aspects of truth to reach enlightenment, these people can actually teach the path, to reach practicing what Nanak and Kabir witnessed and described, Jesus was a true saint...religion can never frame these guys, nor can words describe their experiences, but yes, there is a path:
Noble Truths:
Thus is the Noble Truth of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Accumulation of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Elimination of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Path that Leads Away from Suffering
Nanak
“As fragrance abides in the flower
As reflection is within the mirror,
So does your Lord abide within you,
Why search for him without?”
Many earlier Buddhas practiced near Bodh Gaya. This is a very old technique you are going to learn. We will talk about 'time' sometime.
Being withdrawn from greed, hatred, and ill-will.
Buddha said it is easy to go in extremes.
People go on fast for days, weeks, months, some people give up homes and unfortunate things like that happen. It is easy to do this. It is easy to do this compared to the middle path. What is the middle path? To keep your mind balanced, to be in concentration and to be at ease. Your effort has to come from a base of strength and a base of 'knowing', mere sacrifice is not enough.
I remember many people exclaming, after coming out from Vipassana retreats, when they see someone in robes. Having had the taste of the real thing, they understand that becoming a monk may not lead you there, outer appearance, residence/kuti and even chanting may not help after a point. One needs real wisdom, wisdom that comes from a strong base of morality, concentration and wisdom. I was in outer Rishikesh, alone at that point, and I saw a young Hindu monk, bathing some distance from me in the Ganga. As he approached, I could see my mind was more free from lust and fear than his, who was the monk there?
Let me share a personal experience. I considered myself to be free from ideas of association with the other gender. Precisely as I was thinking thus, I saw birds mating, and I see my mind reacting. And the thoughts flashed through my mind...even if I go to the forest, oh dearie I cant escape Mara. (Mara is the lure)
It is very beneficial to have a wish to become a monk. But check yourself on these checkpoints:
What are you running from? You can not run from the world or from material things, as long as you breathe. Cant disrespect the need for these either. But you can turn from greed, ill-will and aversion, completely.
What if you find a true teacher? Be with the teacher, and learn with him. If you then give up the home and take to the forest for seclusion, and for study, and practice of meditation. Go ahead.
There is also suitability to become a monk. Are you in the right frame of mind. Do you feel positive and not dejected (from the world). Is the motive learning and humility and not some magical propaganda. And are you capable, healthy mind, able body, if you are young it helps. (say if u r below 25 you can expect results in this very life easily), also if you have the acumen, to grasp ideas easily,leading to Right View ...
For me, it has been difficult to practice in the world, I have gone on retreats. If I found an ideal monastry I will immediately be there. In fact, I tried. Being a woman is not easy. But I see I can practice being in this world, and come in touch with many many people, and spread dhamma. Its true I would have grown better in a more conducive environment. But many lay people have been able to make progress.
I have learnt something. Its about how dedicated you are, whether a monk in robes or no! Knowing the right concentration and being skillful in 37 factors of enlightenment
http://www.nic.fi/~laan/factors.htm
Metta
Being in the World and not of it!
Letter II
... I dont quite remember the age stuff. But also, its a convention. It is understood that for some people it took just minutes after they met the teacher to reach awakening. I heard of one monk who was around 90 years of age who took a few minutes during the time buddha* was teaching this technique himself. Age is mere convention. It is said to refer perhaps that you need an energised mind and body ... and after a point in meditation this energy becomes a factor. Factor in the sense that monks (anyone who practices, with morality, concentration and wisdom), can arouse energy even if the body is sick and so forth. Also people who have had some kind of experience and have been practicing a clean life take much less time to understand and practice, since they know what is material and that there is suffering in material pleasure, and there is release too. You will see what you call material as mere energy, but lets not go there right now.
Also, monks are able to witness mental phenomenon clearly. It is this awareness that helps one to come out of illusion (maya), and even as one resides in this world, one becomes not of it. This process starts with something very basic, like being aware of your posture, for physical phenomenon. Then as some teachers kindly suggest, being aware of the 'breath' which is kind of both mind and body-based phenomenon (you will discover in the course, nothing is to be believed, but lived). Then you start becoming aware of mind states, oh I feel ill-will, or jealousy, or fear, or displeasure, and then effectively, now my mind if free from ill-will, free from jealousy ...and so forth. Skillfully one observes any mind state that comes up with detachment, neither tagging it as good or bad. If anger comes up, you dont react to it, just observe it. Sometimes boredom comes and people start feeling sad, why they came to the course, why they are wasting time, it is important to understand even that as a mind-state, and to observe even that with detachment, neither good, nor bad. Mind keeps throwing u- GIGO. When one can observe skillfully without getting trapped by emotions, one can enter access concentration. Thats for now.
I wish to share another small thing. Sometimes you need refuge from the world to actually observe what is going on. When in college, I had recently come back from Vipassana and had no one to guide me in it. I sometimes wanted to practice longer. I remember sitting for six hours one day and getting up feeling light. I read years and years later that some monks in Burma can sit for three hours, even four six hours (some sit for 24). But I could see people exclaiming at even three hour sitting. So, yes, you sometimes need refuge and do these things. I practice regularly, and go out only when I have to. I dont watch tv at all, I think I cant find time for it. So being a monk is more of a personal decision. The world doesnt have to partake, no teacher has to rule, and no monastry has to be there, heart monastry.
Here is something that makes for a good read:
http://minddeep.blogspot.com/2010/10/monastery-within.html
Much lv
PoojaY
*Buddha: refers to a person who is fully enlightened. Avatar is a person who shines in some aspect of dhamma, say Harishchnadra for truth, or Nanak ...history is rife. Buddha is someone who has accomplished all aspects of truth to reach enlightenment, these people can actually teach the path, to reach practicing what Nanak and Kabir witnessed and described, Jesus was a true saint...religion can never frame these guys, nor can words describe their experiences, but yes, there is a path:
Noble Truths:
Thus is the Noble Truth of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Accumulation of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Elimination of Suffering
Thus is the Noble Truth of the Path that Leads Away from Suffering
Nanak
“As fragrance abides in the flower
As reflection is within the mirror,
So does your Lord abide within you,
Why search for him without?”
Many earlier Buddhas practiced near Bodh Gaya. This is a very old technique you are going to learn. We will talk about 'time' sometime.
Meditations on Quality of Mind
Look this is purely experiential - the quality of your pleasure. Try to look at this in other ways too, like the quality of your devotion to a relationship. Is it the same as how much the other person is putting in at the same time? You would sometimes notice how your selfless intentions are grossly misinterpreted. Instead of feeling abused in such times, learn to identify the quality of the mind, whatever the present experience facilitates to you.
Try to reap a higher quality of mind. For this you will need to learn to love. If this seems difficult then cultivate forgiveness. Most of the time we forget to forgive ourselves. And keep sticking to the same opinion of ourselves, which may be a moment old! Things change in a moment. Look for this kind of refreshing opportunity new moments unfold. Try not to be old, it’s a conception. This way you will not live in your past opinion of yourself, forget about others, what they think. You are new, each moment.
With this newness you can achieve anything, even something beyond ‘pleasure’ ... don’t we get tired of pleasure sometimes? There must be a reason for partying to end around dawn, or may be for a change, we change the group we party with! Look at this constant need for change. Can you really identify if it is pleasure or change that we are seeking? Try to think why sometimes people give up on perfectly good partners, even give up jobs, what is it if not for ‘change’. Without regrets, try to think of the quality of such minds. You will see constant 'craving' in the underbelly, craving takes away much more that it brings or even makes you aspire for. Do you relate to a fluctuating mind with poor quality? Can you observe this fluctuation (confusion)
Does change make any difference … I mean its endless, if you don’t understand it. But if you can observe it, you have a way out. At a small level you need to be able to observe the changing (arising passing) at the (atomic) level of body, or observe the dynamics of breath. You will be suffused with life, we forget we are alive! This ability to observe will help you observe change in the world outside, and you will see changing situations, however unpleasant, like you see the changing colors of the sky. You will be able to do this without feeling the displeasure/pleasure that we normally bring in when relating to an experience, which actually is the reality of change, be comfortable, be at ease with changing phenomenon, just that.
Its just change ... each day, every moment! You will reach a stage of equanimity where no matter how stark or unpleasing the situation is, how unexpected, you are ready to receive/deal with it, without getting toppled over*. You will decide beautifully, you will indeed welcome change without trading away your peace! But you need to stop to meditate for this ability to help you, like you water a plant, you need to meditate regularly. Meditative ‘stillness’ gives you that window, to actually observe change, that also is an observation in non-self. Be moral, like I always recommend. And if you have regrets, just look at the new you!
Meditate for ten minutes. See if you can remove thoughts and concerns and just breathe freely, with attention. Try a little hard breathing if you lose attention and if you are feeling tense. Try to have ten minutes of good attention to the breath, and sensations if u feel on the body. If the mind wanders, try again from the first …ten minutes of unbroken unwavering breath meditation.
Lv
Try to reap a higher quality of mind. For this you will need to learn to love. If this seems difficult then cultivate forgiveness. Most of the time we forget to forgive ourselves. And keep sticking to the same opinion of ourselves, which may be a moment old! Things change in a moment. Look for this kind of refreshing opportunity new moments unfold. Try not to be old, it’s a conception. This way you will not live in your past opinion of yourself, forget about others, what they think. You are new, each moment.
With this newness you can achieve anything, even something beyond ‘pleasure’ ... don’t we get tired of pleasure sometimes? There must be a reason for partying to end around dawn, or may be for a change, we change the group we party with! Look at this constant need for change. Can you really identify if it is pleasure or change that we are seeking? Try to think why sometimes people give up on perfectly good partners, even give up jobs, what is it if not for ‘change’. Without regrets, try to think of the quality of such minds. You will see constant 'craving' in the underbelly, craving takes away much more that it brings or even makes you aspire for. Do you relate to a fluctuating mind with poor quality? Can you observe this fluctuation (confusion)
Does change make any difference … I mean its endless, if you don’t understand it. But if you can observe it, you have a way out. At a small level you need to be able to observe the changing (arising passing) at the (atomic) level of body, or observe the dynamics of breath. You will be suffused with life, we forget we are alive! This ability to observe will help you observe change in the world outside, and you will see changing situations, however unpleasant, like you see the changing colors of the sky. You will be able to do this without feeling the displeasure/pleasure that we normally bring in when relating to an experience, which actually is the reality of change, be comfortable, be at ease with changing phenomenon, just that.
Its just change ... each day, every moment! You will reach a stage of equanimity where no matter how stark or unpleasing the situation is, how unexpected, you are ready to receive/deal with it, without getting toppled over*. You will decide beautifully, you will indeed welcome change without trading away your peace! But you need to stop to meditate for this ability to help you, like you water a plant, you need to meditate regularly. Meditative ‘stillness’ gives you that window, to actually observe change, that also is an observation in non-self. Be moral, like I always recommend. And if you have regrets, just look at the new you!
Meditate for ten minutes. See if you can remove thoughts and concerns and just breathe freely, with attention. Try a little hard breathing if you lose attention and if you are feeling tense. Try to have ten minutes of good attention to the breath, and sensations if u feel on the body. If the mind wanders, try again from the first …ten minutes of unbroken unwavering breath meditation.
Lv
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