(EA09)-01-Introduction

Tonight the topic is Satipatthana, not just Satipatthana Sutta, but Satipatthana the subject. And this subject is not a subject that all Buddhists want to know much about. It's quite a serious topic, more for people who are interested in meditation. Otherwise, if a person is not that interested in meditation, he will appear pretty dull. But Brother Eng Chai asked me to talk about this subject. So, I will begin with the Shantitanikaya. A lot of people have been told that the most important Sutta of all the Suttas is the Satipatthana Sutta and also then you can know everything about Satipatthana from that Sutta but it's not true. The good thing about the Satipatthana Sutta is that it tells you the subjects or the objects of Satipatthana practice. But exactly how to practice the meaning of Satipatthana, et cetera, is not so well explained in that Sutta. It is much better explained in the Samyutta Nikaya, in the Satipatthana Samyutta, which is the 47th Samyutta in the Samyutta Nikaya. And there, there are several Suttas throw light on the meaning and practice of Satipatthana much more than the Satipatthana Sutta. A lot of people make this mistake of only concentrating on the Satipatthana Sutta and they get a biased view on Satipatthana. It's like the simile of the blind man trying to find out what the elephant looks like. So one blind man grabs hold of the leg of the elephant, and then he says, elephant is exactly like a coconut trunk. Another one catches the body, and he says, it's just like a wall. And so all these are biased views. It's one-sided views, narrow views. So you have to get an overall picture by studying a lot of suttas. And many of these suttas concerning Satipatthana are in the Satipatthana Samyutta. And not only there, and in the Satipatthana Sutta, even other Nikayas, Tiga Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, Anguttara Nikaya, they also talk about Satipatthana from different perspectives. So it is good to know many, many suttas so that you can see rounded, view, not a picture.

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So now I'll start off with the Satipatthana Samyutta. The first sutra in the Satipatthana Samyutta is called Amba Pali. Thus have I heard. On one occasion, the Blessed One was dwelling at Vesali in Amba Pali's grove. There, the Blessed One addressed the monks. Thus, monks. Venerable Sir of Badante, the monks replied. The Blessed One said this. Before I go into that, I'll just go into this footnote. In the Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi's translation of this Samhita Nikaya, he has this footnote. What follows here is the Udesa condensed statement of the Satipatthana Sutta without the Nidesa elaboration. So actually this part that you're going to hear is actually part of the Satipatthana Sutta, just the first part. without the elaboration of the objects. Sorry, before I go into this Sutta, first I must tell you what is Sati and Satipatthana. The definition of Sati is given in about nine Suttas, Latva and Nikayas. For example, Anguta Nikaya 5.14 and Majjhima Nikaya 53. The meaning of Sati is given as he remembers and calls to mind what was said and done a long time ago. So from here you see that Sati has a lot to do with remembering, remembers and calls to mind what was said and done a long time ago, the quality of remembering. Now why is it we need to remember? Later you will find that the Buddha says when you practice sati or satipatthana, you have to remember to put your mind on four objects, namely the body, feelings, mind, and dharma. And the Buddha said not to put your mind out through the five senses, like seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. And the Buddha calls that the Mara's domain. You can get caught by Mara when you start to enjoy sights and sounds and smells and taste and touch. That's why the Buddha said that we should always remember to call to mind the four objects of Sati. So that is why Sati has to do with remembering. Always to remember, to put your attention more on these four objects of sati whenever you can, because you cannot all the time put your attention on these four objects. Why? Because sometimes when you are walking on the road, if you are not looking around, you might fall into a drain, knock into a lamppost. So you also need to put some attention out to the five senses. But the Buddha said not to grasp at these five sense objects, because otherwise you can get caught by Mara or Satan. Now, Satipatthana is something else. Sati, actually right Sati, is the seventh factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. So, Satipatthana is slightly different. And to understand what is Satipatthana, here the footnote by Prabhupada says, the commentaries offer two derivations of Satipatthana. One from Sati and Upatthana, meaning the establishment of mindfulness. The other is from Sati and Patthana, the foundation of mindfulness. The former establishment of mindfulness emphasizes the act of setting up mindfulness, the latter the foundation of mindfulness, the objects to which mindfulness is applied. The commentaries lean towards the derivation from Sati plus Patthana, but the former is certainly more original and is supported by the Sanskrit word. So here, Remember Bhikkhu Bodhi saying that Satipatthana means the establishment of mindfulness. There are some people who translate it as the foundation of mindfulness. But these two also you don't understand very much about Satipatthana. You know that Sati has to do with remembering. Actually the word Sati A good translation would be recollection. Most monks use mindfulness. If you use mindfulness, it is also okay as long as you remember it is mindfulness directed to specific objects, not general mindfulness. General mindfulness means whatever comes to you, you see, whatever sound comes, you hear, that is not sati. Sati is specific mindfulness directed to the four objects of sati. That is why the quality of remembering is important. You have to remember to put your attention on these four objects of sati whenever you can, not all the time, as often as you can. So sometimes when I read the suttas, I will use the word mindfulness, but you have to remember that this mindfulness refers to specific mindfulness, which has to do with remembering. not general mindfulness. So Satipatthana here they say is the establishment of mindfulness. But although I'm not a Pali scholar, I would suggest that Satipatthana is the intense stage of mindfulness. Because this word Patthana, actually Pali scholars also don't know actually what it means. So, for example, in the Abhidhamma, the Patthana book, They also don't know how to actually translate it. So, this word Satipatthana, if you look at my booklet, Mindfulness, Recollection and Concentration, I say that the word patthana could possibly come from pa and thana. And so, that combination, if you look in the book, I say it's in ten states of mindfulness. And why I come to this conclusion is because if you read certain suttas, we find that it is not ordinary recollection or mindfulness, but intense. For example, in the Anguttara Nikaya 7.16, the Buddha said, consider some person who abides seeing impermanence in all conditioned things, conscious of it, aware of it, at all times, continually, without a break, marking it mentally, fathoming it by wisdom, and destroying the asavas, he enters and abides in the asava free liberation of mind. So you see, the words to note is, he abides in impermanence in all conditioned things, at all times, continually, without a break, all the time. This is an intense state of recollection or mindfulness. Another sutra is Sahita Nikaya 47.20. This sutra I will read later. It is the simile of the most beautiful girl of the land. How a person is forced to carry a bowl of oil and the soldier is walking behind with an up-drawn sword saying that you better be careful if you spill one drop of the oil I'm going to chop off your head so he has to walk looking at the oil all the time without looking anywhere else he has to pay intense mindfulness on the bowl of oil and that's why I think that Satipatthana means an intense state of recollection now coming back to this sutra The Buddha said, monks, this is the one-way path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure or grief, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of Nibbana, that is, the four intense states of mindfulness. Buddha said it's a one-way path. Formerly they used to translate as the only way or the only path. But then you remember just now I said sati is the seventh factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. How can you practice one factor and achieve nirvana? So it is not the only way because it has to be combined with other other things, like the other seven factors of the Noble Eightfold Path. If you practice all eight factors, then you can attain Nibbana. If you say there is a one way for the attainment of Nibbana, it is true. There is one way, and that way the Buddha calls the Noble Eightfold Path containing eight factors, not one factor. So the only one way to Nibbana is the Noble Eightfold Path, and Satipatthana is the One-Way Path. Even Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, now he comes to that conclusion that it's the One-Way Path. In fact, he wrote a note here. He says, Ekayano Ayam Mago is often translated, this is the only way, or this is the soul way, implying that the Buddha's way of mindfulness is an exclusive path. The commentary to the Satipatthana Sutta, however, gives five explanations of the phrase, of which only one suggests exclusivity. So it is a one-way path, or a path leading one way only. That means if you practice Satipatthana, it only leads you to Nibbana, not somewhere else. Here a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating mind in mind, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating Dhamma in Dhamma, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. Now I look at his footnote. What does he say concerning body in the body? The repetitive phrase, contemplating the body in the body, kaya kaya nupasi, serves to determine the object, that is the body, by isolating it from other things such as feeling, mind, et cetera, and to show that one contemplates only the body as such, not as permanent, pleasurable, a self, or beautiful. Similarly, in regard to the other three establishments, or the three intense states of mindfulness, Arden, atapi, connotes energy, clearly comprehending, sampajano, implies wisdom. Covetousness and displeasure, abhijja, domanasa, are code words for the first two hindrances, and thus their removal may be understood to imply some success in concentration. Thus, altogether, four of the five spiritual faculties in Rhea are indicated here. And while faith is not mentioned, it is clearly a prerequisite for taking up the practice in the first place. So here, he translates as body in the body. But in other books, sometimes they translate as a body as the body, et cetera. So the meaning here is you contemplate the body in the body, meaning only your attention is only fixed in the body, or in feelings, or in mind, or in dharma, and not somewhere else. For example, if your mind starts to run away, our brain is a very special thing. So, I don't know how many geeks we have here. It's really good. So sometimes when you are trying to, for example, you are practicing Anapanasati, you are concentrating on your breath, sometimes your mind can run away. And when your mind starts to think of other things, at the same time you are still watching your breath, right? So you are not watching your breath in the breath, you are watching the breath among your thoughts. So here it says, you are watching the body in the body and not somewhere else. This month is the one-way path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the passing away of pain and displeasure, for the achievement of the method, for the realization of Nibbana, that is, the four intense states of mindfulness. This is what the Blessed One said. He later, those monks delighted in the Blessed One's statement. So this is the first sutra. So here we have understood a few things about Satipatthana.

(EA09)-03-SN-47

Then another sutta, the second one. On one occasion, the Blessed One was dwelling at Vijayasali in Amba Pali's grove. There, the Blessed One addressed the monks thus. Monks. Venerable Sir, the monks replied. The Blessed One said this. Monks, a monk should dwell mindful and clearly comprehending. This is our instruction to you. This word mindful and clearly comprehending, the word mindful refers to sati. clearly comprehending or clearly aware is Sampajanya. So in Charana, the conduct of a monk or the practice of a monk, Sati Sampajanya is one of the things that we are supposed to practice. And this Sutta explains what this refers to. And how monks, is a monk mindful or how does he practice Sati? Dear monks, a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, mind in mind, dhamma in dhamma, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. It is in this way, monks, that a monk is mindful. And how monks does a monk exercise clear comprehension or Sampajanya? Here monks, a monk is one who acts with clear comprehension and going forward and returning and looking ahead and looking aside. when drawing in and extending the limbs, when wearing its robes and carrying its outer robe and bowl, when eating, drinking, chewing its food and tasting, when defecating and urinating, when walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, speaking and keeping silent. It is in such a way that a monk exercises clear comprehension. Monks and monks should dwell mindful and clearly comprehending. This is our instruction to you. So here you can see the difference between Sati and Sampajanya. Sati is contemplating the four objects, only the four objects. But Sampajanya is, I could say, like general mindfulness. Whatever you are doing, you have to know. It is necessary, but it is not a factor that brings you to enlightenment. So, When you practice Sati, don't mistake it with practicing Sampajaania.

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3. On one occasion, the Blessed One was dwelling at Savarthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika Spa. Then a certain monk approached the Blessed One, paid homage to Him, sat down to one side and said to Him, Parable Sir, it would be good if the Blessed One would teach me the Dhamma in brief, so that having heard the Dhamma from the Blessed One, I might dwell alone, withdrawn, diligent, ardent and resolute. You see, the Buddha encouraged his monks to stay five years when they are new, after they have just taken the higher ordination. They're supposed to stay five years with a teacher and learn especially the suttas and the Vinaya from that teacher. And after five years, they're supposed to go off and practice. And the Buddha encouraged them to stay alone, to go off to a secluded place and stay alone. So this monk wanted to go off and stay alone. So he asked the Buddha to give him some instruction And the Buddha said, it is in just such a way that some foolish persons here make requests of me. But when the Dhamma has been spoken to them, they think only of following me around. And then he said, let the blessed one teach me the Dhamma in brief. Let the fortunate one teach me the Dhamma in brief. Perhaps I may understand the meaning of the blessed one's statement. Perhaps I may become an heir to the blessed one's statement. And the Buddha said, well then, monk, Purify the very starting point of wholesome states. And what is the starting point of wholesome states? Virtue that is well purified and view that is straight. Then, monk, when your virtue is well purified and your view straight, based upon virtue, established upon virtue, you should develop the four intense states of mindfulness in a threefold way. What four? Dear monks, dwell contemplating the body in the body, internally ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. Dwell contemplating the body in the body, externally ardent, clearly comprehending, Mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. Dwell contemplating the body in the body, internally and externally. Arden, clearly comprehending. Mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. Similarly, contemplate feelings in feelings, mind in mind, dhamma in dhamma. So, firstly here, what is important is What is the starting point of wholesome states? The Buddha said, virtue that is well purified and view that is straight. Then monk, when your virtue is well purified and your view straight, based upon virtue, you should develop the four intense state of mindfulness in a threefold way. So here the Buddha is saying, before you practice Satipatthana, first you make sure your foundation is there. And what is that foundation? Sila and right view. If you don't have Sila and right view, you cannot succeed. So, Sila here refers to Aryan Sila, not to five precepts, but Aryan Sila. Aryan Sila means the three factors of the Noble Eightfold Path, right speech, right action, and right livelihood. This right speech and right action will mean seven precepts. Three body precepts and four verbal precepts. And then right livelihood. That means you earn a livelihood without harming others. So you must have this seal. And then you must have right view. And right view is understanding the Four Noble Truths. And that you get from listening to the Dhamma studying the books. So, Right View comes not from meditating, but from listening to the Dhamma. Because in the Majjhima Nikaya, I think Sutta 43, it is stated that there are two conditions for Right View. The first one is the voice of another. The second one is thorough attention. The actual Words are the voice of another. It's not listening to the Dhamma. It's the voice of another. That means another person teaches you the Dhamma. Then only you can get right view. You cannot get it yourself by meditating until doomsday. So that is why when a Sammasambuddha appears in the world, he teaches the Dhamma and Aryans arise. Without the Sammasambuddha teaching the Dhamma, you cannot get Aryans arising. This is very important that we uphold our sila and listen to the dhamma to get right view. Once you get right view, then you have entered the stream. And after you have entered the stream, then only you will learn to meditate. So don't try to meditate before you get right view and practice your sila. A lot of people, they do the wrong things. They start from the last factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, practicing. Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta 117, the Buddha said, if you want to practice the Noble Eightfold Path, you must start with Right View. Right View will bring you to the second factor, Right Thoughts, that will bring you to the third factor, Right Speech, etc.

(EA09)-05-SN-47

In the fourth sutra, on one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling among the Kosalans at the Brahmin village of Salang. There the Blessed One addressed the monks thus, Monks, those monks who are newly ordained, not long gone forth, recently come to this Dharma Vinaya, should be exalted, settled and established by you in the development of the four intense states of mindfulness. Come friends, dwell contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, unified with limpid mind, concentrated with one-pointed mind, in order to know the body as it really is. Dwell contemplating feelings in feelings, etc. So here you see, the Buddha is saying that when you practice Satipatthana, with limpid mind concentrated with one-pointed mind in order to know the body as it really is. So here it is important to note that you should have a concentrated mind. If you don't have a concentrated mind, you cannot see the body as it really is. And this can be seen from a few suttas. Later, I will show you another sutra where the Buddha says that if you practice Satipatthana correctly, it must lead you to Samadhi, right concentration. Otherwise, you are not practicing it correctly.

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But the Fifth Sutta, the Blessed One said, Monks, if one were to say of anything a heap of the unwholesome, it is about the five hindrances that one could rightly say this. For this is a complete heap of the unwholesome, that is, the five hindrances. What five? The hindrance of sensual desire, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, doubt. This is a complete heap of the unwholesome, that is, the five hindrances. If monks, one were to say of anything, a heap of the wholesome, it is about the four intense states of mindfulness that one could rightly say this. So here, the Buddha says, the five indences, it is a heap of the unwholesome, because it prevents us from seeing things as they really are. That's why in a few suttas, the Buddha said, the condition for seeing things as they really are is the elimination of the five hindrances and to eliminate the five hindrances you have to attain Samadhi because when you attain Samadhi then the five hindrances totally go away you see this Majjhima Nikaya Sutta 68 the Buddha said while he still does not attain to the delight and pleasure that are secluded from sensual pleasures and secluded from unwholesome states, meaning the first jhana, or to something more peaceful than that, meaning the higher jhanas. Then covetousness, ill-wills, loss and torpor, restlessness and remorse, doubt, discontent, weariness invade his mind and remains. While he attains to the delight and pleasure that are secluded from sensual pleasures and secluded from unwholesome states, or to something more peaceful than that, that means the jhanas, then covetousness, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, doubt, discontent, weariness, do not invade his mind and remain. So it is clear from this sutta that when you attain the jhanas and you get rid of the five indences, that is, if you don't attain the jhanas, They are always there in your mind.

(EA09)-07-SN-47

Sutta 7. Monks, in the Himalayas, the king of mountains, there are rugged and uneven zones where neither monkeys nor human beings can go. There are rugged and uneven zones where monkeys can go but not human beings. Then there are even and delightful regions where both monkeys and human beings can go. There, along the monkey trails, hunters set up traps of pitch for catching monkeys. Those monkeys who are not foolish and frivolous when they see the pitch avoided from afar. But a monkey who is foolish and frivolous approaches the pitch and seizes it with his hand. He gets caught there. Thinking I will free my hand, he seizes it with his other hand. He gets caught there. Thinking I will free both hands, he seizes it with his foot. He gets caught there. Thinking I will free both hands and my foot, he seizes it with his other foot. He gets caught there. Thinking I will free both hands and feet, He applies his muzzle to it. He gets caught there. Thus, monks, that monkey, trapped at five points, lies there screeching. He has met with calamity and disaster, and the hunter can do with him as he wishes. The hunter spears him, fastens him to that same block of wood, and goes off where he wants. So it is, monks, when one strays outside one's own resort into the domain of others. Therefore, monks, do not stray outside your own resort into the domain of others. Mara will gain access to those who stray outside their own resort into the domain of others. Mara will get a hold on them. And what is not a monk's own resort but the domain of others? It is the five cause of sensual pleasure. This is not a monk's own resort but the domain of others. Move in your own resort monks, in your own ancestral domain. Mara will not gain access to those who move in their own resort, in their own ancestral domain. Mara will not get a hold on them. And what is a monk's resort? His own ancestral domain. This is the four intense states of mindfulness. What four? Here monks, a monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, etc. Feelings in feelings, mind in mind, dhamma in dhamma. So here you see, this hunter, he wants to catch the monkey. He puts a block of wood there and puts some fruits. And then that wood, he puts all this tar, this pitch, which is very sticky. Last time when I was a small boy, so I used to catch birds. I burn the rubber and put it on the stick. So this monkey goes to that fruit, and then he wants to eat, puts one hand and gets caught. And then he puts the other hand to free the first hand, both hands get caught. And then he puts his legs, both legs, and puts his mouth also gets caught. So these five things represent, the five points represent the five senses. Mara can catch us at the five senses. So you have to be careful when you see a pretty girl or a handsome man. That's why the practice of Satipatthana is to divorce ourselves from the world and put it, concentrate. Actually, the four objects of Satipatthana is basically body and mind plus the Dhamma. The Dhamma is the Buddha's teachings. Here they translate actually, the Dhamma they translate as phenomena but later i will explain to you it cannot be phenomena it must be the buddha's teachings

(EA09)-08-SN-47

The Eight Sutta. Monks, suppose a foolish, incompetent, unskillful cook were to present a king or a royal minister with various kinds of curries—sour, bitter, pungent, sweet, sharp, mild, salty, bland. That foolish, incompetent, unskillful cook does not pick up the sign of his own master's preference. Today this curry pleased my master, or he reached for this one. or he took a lot of this one, or he spoke in praise of this one, or the sour curry pleased my master today, or he reached for the sour one, or he took a lot of the sour one, or he spoke in praise of the sour one, or bitter one, or pungent one, or sweet, or mild, or sharp curry, or salty curry, or bland. That foolish, incompetent, unskillful cook does not gain gifts of clothing, wages and bonuses. For what reason? Because that foolish, incompetent, unskillful cook does not pick up the sign of his own master's preference. So too monks. Here some foolish, incompetent, unskillful monk dwells contemplating the body in the body, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed covetousness and displeasure in regard to the world. While he dwells contemplating the body in the body, his mind does not become concentrated. His corruptions are not abandoned. He does not pick up that sign. He dwells contemplating feelings in feelings, mind in mind, dharma in dharma. and his mind does not become concentrated. His corruptions, meaning the five hindrances, are not abandoned. He does not pick up that sign. That foolish, incompetent, unskillful monk does not gain pleasant dwellings in this very life, nor does he gain mindfulness and clear comprehension. For what reason? Because monks, that foolish, incompetent, unskillful monk does not pick up the sign of his own mind. And then the other way around, I mean, following this, the Buddha gives the simile of the competent, skillful cook who cooks for the king or the minister, and then he takes a note of what the king or the minister likes to eat, and then he cooks that food, and then he gets his bonus. So in the same way, the Buddha says, says that some wise, competent, skillful monk dwells contemplating the body in the body and then as he practices this Satipatthana, his mind becomes concentrated, his corruptions are abandoned, he picks up that sign. So here actually what the Buddha is trying to say is that just as the cook, he has to note now what his master likes to eat. I think what the Buddha is trying to say is that when we practice meditation, we have to observe our mind. What type of object of meditation does our mind incline to? Sometimes we practice in types of meditation, our mind does not like that type of meditation. So for example, Anapanasati. Not everybody can practice Anapanasati. It's a very subtle object. So you have to find the type of meditation that suits you. Chanting is a very simple one. In fact, the first meditation taught by the Buddha was 32 parts of the body where you chant. It's simple. So you have to note the signs in your mind, what type of meditation your mind inclines to, and also what time of the day you meditate best. then under what conditions, other conditions, you know, like whatever food suits you, is good for your meditation, what type of supplements or what gives you that energy to meditate better and all that. So you have to be very sharp, you notice, then you practice in the right way, then your mind should become concentrated. Here it says, if the monk, the unskillful monk, he does not get concentration, then he is not practicing mindfulness and clear comprehension. That means he is not practicing sati and sampajanya. Although he thinks that he is practicing sati and sampajanya, but if he does not end up with the jhanas, then he is not practicing sati and sampajanya. A lot of people, they don't study the sutras. Actually, Buddhist meditation is stated by Venerable Ananda in the Majjhima Nikaya. Somebody asked Venerable Ananda, what type of meditation is praised by the Buddha? And Venerable Ananda said, the first jhāna, the second jhāna, the third jhāna, the fourth jhāna. Only this is Buddhist meditation, nothing else. So if you practice the type of meditation and you don't end up with the jhānas, that is not Buddhist meditation at all. Unfortunately, some monks, they say that the Buddha practices Vipassana meditation. And jhanas are external ascetic practices. It's either a total lie or it's very ignorant of the suttas. Because in the Samyutta Nikaya, the Buddha, in one sutta, the Buddha told his monks, if anybody asks what type of meditation the Buddha practices, the Buddha said, you tell them the Buddha practices Anapanasati. And the Buddha said, before the Tathagata was enlightened, he practiced Anapanasati. And after he was enlightened, he also practices Anapanasati. So the Buddha's meditation is Anapanasati, not Vipassana. Vipassana in the suttas, there is no such thing as Vipassana meditation in the suttas. Vipassana only means contemplation. When you listen to the Dhamma and then you contemplate, you can become enlightened. Vipassana meditation only started about 30 or 40 years ago with Mahasi Sayadaw. And when he started it, he knew it was not the Buddha's method. That's why nobody called it the Buddha's method. People called it the Mahasi method of meditation. And following that, you're going ka and all that. And it has become very popular because you don't need to practice jhana. You don't need to attain jhana. That's what they say. So here you can see, the Buddha says very clearly in this sutra, if the skillful monk practices satipatthana correctly, his mind must become concentrated, the hindrances must go away. So if a person practices and does not get the jhanas, he is not practicing satipatthana.

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Sankirtanikaya 47.20, the 20th Sutta. The Sutta is called the most beautiful girl of the land. On one occasion, the Blessed One was living among the Sumbas, where there was a town of the Sumbas named Sadaka. There, the Blessed One addressed the monks. Monks. Venerable Sir, the monks replied. The Blessed One said this. Monks, suppose on hearing the most beautiful girl of the land, the most beautiful girl of the land, a great crowd of people would assemble. Now that most beautiful girl of the land would dance exquisitely and sing exquisitely. On hearing the most beautiful girl of the land is dancing, the most beautiful girl of the land is singing, an even larger crowd of people would assemble. Then a man would come along, wishing to live, not wishing to die, wishing for happiness, averse to suffering. Someone would say to him, good man, you must carry around this bowl of oil filled to the brim between the crowd and the most beautiful girl of the land. A man with a drawn sword will be falling right behind you, and wherever you spill even a little of it, right there he will fell your head. What do you think, monks, would that man stop attending to that bowl of oil and out of negligence turn his attention outwards? No, venerable sir. I have made up this simile, monks, in order to convey a meaning. This here is the meaning. The bowl of oil filled to the brim. This is a designation for mindfulness directed to the body. Therefore, monks, you should train yourselves thus. We will cultivate and develop mindfulness directed to the body, make it our vehicle, make it our basis, stabilize it, exercise ourselves in it and fully perfect it. Thus monks should you train yourselves. So here the Buddha is telling us how the practice of Satipatthana should be done. That means you put your attention on one object and only one object all the time and nothing else until the mind becomes concentrated, becomes one-pointed. Unfortunately nowadays a lot of people thought that the practice of satipatthana has nothing to do with jhana, nothing to do with samadhi, but it's the opposite of what the sutra says.

(EA09)-10-SN-47

Sutra number 28, one day the Venerable Sariputta said to the Venerable Aniruddha, by having developed and cultivated what things as the Venerable Aniruddha attained to greatness of direct knowledge. Actually in the Pali Text Society, they say, attained to great super knowledge or great super normal power. Then the Sutra says, mighty magic power and majesty. Then Vemba Aniruddha replied, It is, friend, because I have developed and cultivated the four intense states of mindfulness that I have attained to greatness of direct knowledge. What for? Here, friend, I dwell contemplating the body in the body, feelings in feelings, mind in mind, dharma in dharma, ardent, clearly comprehending, etc. It is, friend, because I have developed and cultivated these four intense states of mindfulness that I directly know this thousand fold world system. In some other suttas, Venerable Anuruddha is said to be able to see the thousand fold worlds like in the palm of his hand. In other words, he is like a great huge giant looking at the ten thousand world systems like in the palm of his hand. His great psychic power, he says, is directly due to Satipatthana. And we know that psychic power is always due to the jhanas. Only after you have attained the four jhanas or higher that you can get psychic power. But here he says it is due to Satipatthana. So you can see here, evidently, Satipatthana has everything to do with the jhanas. If you practice satipaṭṭhāna correctly, you must end up with the jhānas. Otherwise, you are not practicing it in a skillful way.

(EA09)-11-SN-47

The 42nd Sutta of the Satipatthana Sanghuta. Monks, I will teach you the origination and the passing away of the four intense states of mindfulness. Listen to that. And what, monks, is the origination of the body? With the origination of nutriment, there is the origination of the body. With the cessation of nutriment, there is the passing away of the body. With the Origination of Contact, there is the Origination of Feeling. With the Cessation of Contact, there is the Passing Away of Feeling. With the Origination of Name and Form, Nama Rupa, there is the Origination of Mind. With the Cessation of Name and Form, there is the Passing Away of Mind. With the Origination of Attention, there is the Origination of Dhamma. With the Cessation of Attention, there is the Passing Away of Dhamma. So here, the Buddha is saying that body arises because of nutriment, because of food. And body ceases when there is no food. And then for feelings, contact, you must have contact at the six sense doors, or one of the six sense doors, then feeling arises. And when there is no contact, the feeling passes away. And then for mind, to start, you must have Nama Rupa. Nama Rupa is phenomena. Phenomena that is present to Vijnana. When Vijnana consciousness arises, it arises together with Nama Rupa. So Nama Rupa actually is the object of consciousness. Object of consciousness can be physical or mental. So Nama Rupa is phenomena. But here they translate Dhamma as phenomena. So it cannot be correct. If by phenomena you mean Nama Rupa, then it cannot be correct because Nama Rupa is already in the third one. Nama Rupa is the origination of mind. And if you say that phenomena refers to thoughts, also cannot be correct, because thoughts is also part of Nama Rupa. Thoughts is also an object of consciousness, right? So it must only be Dhamma. Why? Because in the Satipatthana, out of the four objects of Satipatthana, actually Dhamma is the most important. Why? Because in the Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya 5.26, The Buddha says there are five times or five occasions when a person becomes an Arahant, becomes liberated. One is listening to the Dhamma. Another one is teaching the Dhamma. Third one is repeating the Dhamma. The fourth one is reflecting on the Dhamma. And the last one is during meditation when he contemplates on the Samadhi Nimitta. So you see, out of these five occasions of liberation, four are concerned with the Dhamma, meaning the Buddha's teachings, listening to the Dhamma, and teaching, et cetera. So since the Dhamma is so important for liberation, so Dhamma in this Satipatthana must refer to the Buddha's teachings. That's why in the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, or in the Satipatthana Sutta, When Dhamma is referred to, there are various categories of Dhamma that the Buddha taught. The five influences, the four noble truths, the seven bhojanga, etc. These are all the Buddha's teachings.

(EA09)-12-SN-46

Another sutta is Sankyuta Nikaya 46.1.3. The Buddha said, dwelling thus withdrawn, one recollects that Dhamma and thinks it over. Whenever monks, among dwelling thus withdrawn, recollects that Dhamma and thinks it over, on that occasion, the enlightenment factor or bhojanga of mindfulness or recollection is aroused by the monk. On that occasion, the monk develops the enlightenment factor of mindfulness. On that occasion, the enlightenment factor of mindfulness comes to fulfillment by development in the monk. So here, when the Buddha talks about the seven bojanga, and one of them is Dhammavichaya, investigation of Dhamma, and that refers to the Buddha's teachings. So here you can see that Dhamma refers to the Buddha's teachings, not to phenomena. Okay, that's all I have to say about the sutras in the Satipatthana Samyutta. The only other thing I'd like to say here is that in practicing Satipatthana, there are two ways of practice. One is just being aware. And the other one is to contemplate and think about it. For example, just now in the sutra, I just read where the Buddha says, when you recollect the Dhamma, one recollects that Dhamma and thinks it over. So when you contemplate and reflect on the Dhamma, you can think about it. At other times, you're just aware without thinking. For example, your feelings arise in your mind. Your thoughts arise. Your perceptions arise. You're just aware of it. don't think further, just see that it arises and passes away. Especially feelings, because we are very attached to our feelings. When we have a good feeling, we want to hold on to it. We call that happy feeling, we say we are happy. And then when painful or unpleasurable feelings arise, we say we suffer and we want to get rid of it. Whereas if we just notice it arising and we know that it's going to pass away and just wait for it to pass away and then we become attached to it. So there are two ways to practice. One is to just bear awareness. The other one is to contemplate and think about it.

(EA09)-13-DN-22-Mahasatipatthana-Sutta-(The-Greater-Discourse-on-the-Intense-State-of-Collection)

Now coming to the Satipatthana Sutta, I take this Mahasatipatthana Sutta, the Greater Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness, which is the 22nd Sutta in the Digha Nikaya. The first part is the same. Thus have I heard, once the Lord was staying among the Kurus. There is a market town of theirs called Kamasadamma. There the Lord addressed the monks. They replied, and the Lord said, there is monks, this one-way path for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and distress, etc. And then after that, the Buddha talks about contemplation of the body. And how monks, does a monk abide contemplating the body as a body? Here he says contemplating the body as a body, but there will be people who see his body in the body. Here a monk having gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty place, sits down cross-legged, holding his body erect, having established mindfulness before him. Some people like to ask, what is this, having established mindfulness before him? Sometimes they translate as, having established mindfulness in front of him. So people become confused. I think what he means is, Having first established mindfulness, mindfully he breathes in, mindfully he breathes out. Breathing in a long breath, he knows that he breathes in a long breath. Breathing out a long breath, he knows that he breathes out a long breath. Breathing in a short breath, he knows that he breathes in a short breath. And breathing out a short breath, he knows that he breathes out a short breath. He trains himself thinking, I will breathe in conscious of the whole body, meaning the breath body. He trains himself thinking, I will breathe out conscious of the whole body. He trains himself thinking, I will breathe in calming the whole body conditioner, Kaya Sankara. This body conditioner, in other sutras, means the breath. Because the breath is the condition for the body to be alive. He trains himself thinking, I will breathe out calming the whole body conditioner. This as a skilled turner or his assistant in making a long turn knows that he is making a long turn or in making a short turn knows that he is making a short turn. So too a monk in breathing in a long breath knows that he breathes in a long breath and so forth. So I'll just stop here for a while. So this person when you are practicing Anapanasati, you are conscious of the breath body and you are conscious of the whole breath body. This whole breath body, sometimes they say, the commentary say, the beginning, the middle, and the end of the breath. But I think when you say the whole breath body, it means the whole breath. The whole breath. And books like the Visuddhimagga, they say when you practice Anapanasati, you must be conscious of it at one point. And they say at the tip of your nose or the top of your lips. But this is not what the Buddha says. The Buddha says contemplate the whole breath. So I find there's nothing wrong if you follow the breath. If it feels natural to you, you do what is natural to you. If you feel that you're aware of the whole breath going in, down to your abdomen and coming out, you can follow. There's nothing wrong with it. So then later, if you keep following the breath, if after some time the breath may appear more obvious to you in a particular place, for example, at your nostril, or at your throat, or at your abdomen. And you can pay attention at one place later on. But in the beginning, just let it be natural. Just observe the breath. And also, don't force your mind too hard to know every step of the breath. Because when you start meditating, your mind is not strong yet. It's just like carrying weights. You're carrying a dumbbell. you can't immediately carry 50 pounds. You must start with 10 pounds, 15 pounds, 20 pounds. Then your muscle builds up. Then you can do it. So in the same way, when we start meditating, our mind doesn't have that muscle yet. So when you try to concentrate too hard, now people get what Ajahn Brahm calls Samadhi, Samadhi headache. So you just let it be natural. And slowly, slowly, over time, you get used to that concentration. Don't force it too much. Then there's another paragraph that follows. So he abides contemplating body in the body internally, contemplating body in the body externally, contemplating body in the body both internally and externally. Here internally meaning your own body, externally meaning other people's body. He abides contemplating arising, here you see arising phenomena in the body. But the other monks translate that he abides contemplating the body in its arising factors. He abides contemplating body in its vanishing factors, both arising and vanishing factors. Arising factors meaning the factors that make the body arise. And vanishing factors means the conditions, the factors that make the body Or else mindfulness that there is body is present to him just to the extent necessary for knowledge and awareness. And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world. And that, monks, is how a monk abides contemplating body in the body. So here this Uttara tells you how to practice the mindfulness of the body by watching the breath. And then the four postures. Again monks, a monk when walking knows that he is walking, when standing knows that he is standing, when sitting knows that he is sitting, when lying down knows that he is lying down. Again monks, a monk when going forward or back is clearly aware of what he is doing, in looking forward or back he is clearly aware of what he is doing etc. This one is Sampadjana, practicing Sampadjana. And then reflection on the 32 parts of the body. Again, the monk reveals this very body from the soles of the feet upwards, and from the scalp downwards, enclosed by the skin full of manifold impurities. In this body, there are head hairs, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinew, bone, et cetera. So this is another way of contemplating the body, by contemplating the 32 parts of the body. And the four elements. Again, you can contemplate the body through the four elements. That means there are in this body the earth element, the water element, the fire element, the air element. This earth element refers to the hardness element in your body. The water element refers to the cohesion element. The fire refers to the heat in your body. And the air refers to the wind element in your body. So our body, the physical body, has these four characteristics that make us see it as a body. And then the different types of corpses. Again, a monk, as if he were to see a corpse thrown aside in a charnel ground, one or two or three days dead, bloated, discolored, festering, compares his body with that, thinking, this body is of the same nature. It will become like that. It is not exempt from that fate. so here we think of different types of corpses and we think one day our body is going to turn into the same type of corpse so we see impermanence and then how does a monk abide contemplating feelings as feelings or in feelings here a monk Here a monk feeling a pleasant feeling knows that he feels a pleasant feeling. Feeling a painful feeling knows that he feels a painful feeling, etc. So you are aware of your different feelings arise and pass away. That is contemplating feelings. And how does a monk abide contemplating mind in the mind? Here a monk knows a lustful mind is lustful. A mind free from lust is free from lust. A hating mind is hating. A mind free from hate is free from hate, etc. So the state of your mind, you also have to be aware. And then contemplating of Dhamma. You contemplate the five hindrances. And then you contemplate the five aggregates. And then you contemplate the six internal and external sense bases and the seven factors of enlightenment. Now this Dhamma in other places, The Buddha did say that it's very important if you want to attain liberation to contemplate on the five aggregates. The five aggregates also is body and mind. And then another one quite important is the six bases, the six sense bases. And then the four noble truths. This in the Four Noble Truths, in the Satipatthana Sutta of the Majjhima Nikaya, they only say a little bit about the Four Noble Truths, whereas the Mahasatipatthana, it has a long explanation of the Four Noble Truths. What is the Noble Truth of suffering? Birth is suffering, aging is suffering. And what is birth, what is aging, et cetera, they explain. And then also they explain the Dukkha, origin of Dukkha, the cessation of Dukkha, and the path leading to the cessation of Dukkha. So in this explanation of the path leading to the cessation of Dukkha, the Noble Eightfold Path, they talk about Right Concentration. And Right Concentration here refers to the Four Jhanas. So even in the Maha Satipatthana Sutta, you can find that Right Concentration means the Four Jhanas. And sometimes in some suttas, they say, concentration is one-pointedness of mind. One-pointedness of mind also refers to the four jhanas. This can be seen from Samyutta Nikaya, 48.1.10. And then the last part, the conclusion of the Mahasattipatthana Sutta, it says, Whoever monks should practice these four intense states of mindfulness for just seven years may expect one of two results, either arahantship in this very life, or if there should be some substrate left, a state of non-returner, that means anagamin. So if you practice satipatthana for seven years, you should expect to become an arahant or anagamin. And then the Buddha said, let alone seven years, whoever should practice them for just six years can also attain, and then it says five years, four years, three years, two years, let alone one year, if you practice this for seven months, six months, three months, one month, half a month, and then finally the Buddha says, whoever should practice these four intense states of mindfulness for just one week may expect either one of two results, either arahantship in this very life or should there be some substrate left, the state of non-return So you see, if you practice correctly the Satipatthana, for seven days, you can expect to become an Arahant. So this type of Satipatthana is not the type that a lot of people practice now. A lot of people, the type that they practice now, 70 years or so cannot. So what the Buddha means is that your mindfulness is unremitting, non-stop, continual mindfulness. That's why Buddha's time, the monks, they practice until they don't sleep. Their mindfulness is 24 hours a day. That's why when Mahamoggalana was striving very hard, because he didn't sleep for a few days, in the middle of the night, he was nodding already. He was trying to practice and nodding. Then the Buddha saw. Then the Buddha made a golden body come out of the head, went to him, and told him, Moggallana. And he got a shock. Saw the Buddha, the golden body of the Buddha. And Buddha told him, don't not more attention and practice harder. Then after that, the Buddha went away. So he knew that the Buddha was watching him from far. They're not the head anymore. Practice very hard. Seven days became an arahant. That is the real satipatthana, intense state, where they don't even sleep. That's why in the Vinaya books, an arahant is said to have sati. Mindfulness, 24 hours a day. 24 hours a day. All Arahants have 24 hours a day. If they don't have the four jhanas, how can they have 24 hours a day of mindfulness? The moment you fall asleep, you are no more mindful. But nowadays, some monks say, you sleep mindfully. How can you sleep mindfully? Kunxian. That's the end here. Do you have any questions?

(EA09)-14-Vipassana-Meditation

What is Vipassana Meditation? Firstly, Vipassana Meditation started with Mahasi Method and the Vipassana Meditation was based on the Visuddhi Magga and on the commentaries. In the Visuddhi Magga, they talk about 16 Jnanas, 16 knowledges, which was not mentioned by the Buddha. And then in the commentaries, they say there are five types of arahants. The first type has four jhanas. The second type has three jhanas. And then two jhanas, one jhana, and zero jhana. And they use this excuse that there can be an arahant with zero jhana. And they invented the Vipassana meditation based on the zero jhana. And they say this is pure vipassana. So they are trying to find a shortcut to liberation without having to practice jhāna. So when people start to criticize saying that in the suttas the Buddha talk about jhāna, then they invented another what they call vipassana jhāna. There is no such thing as vipassana jhāna. So when they talk about concentration, they talk about one-pointedness of mind. And their one-pointedness of mind is momentary concentration, meaning they see one object after another. But they don't know, actually it is mentioned in the suttas, that is their everyday mind. The Buddha gave a simile of the six animals that the hunter caught. Hunter caught six animals, eagle, a monkey, a snake, a crocodile, a dog, a hyena. He tied a rope around the neck of the six animals and the six ropes he tied into a knot and then he let the animals loose. And then the animals would be heading off in six different directions. The eagle would want to fly into the air, the monkey up the tree, the snake into a hole in the ground. The crocodile wants to go into the river. The dog wants to go into town. The hyena wants to go up the hill. And they are pulling in six different directions. Whichever one is strongest, it pulls. The others have to follow him. After some time, he's tired. Another will pull. The others follow him. This is what the Buddha calls the unrestrained mind, undisciplined mind. So this is just the everyday mind where your mind is going from one object to another. And this, they call mindfulness. But this mindfulness, you don't have to practice. You have it all the time. Where this momentary concentration, everybody has that type of concentration. Even when you sleep, you're also mindful. You're mindful of your dream. When you start to have stray thoughts, you're also mindful. You're mindful of your stray thoughts. So that is no use at all. That's why Sati does not mean that. Sati means to remember, to pull your attention from out of these five senses into the body and mind and the Dharma. So the Vipassana meditation originally was supposed to be practicing on the four objects of Sati. But later, people misunderstand and people say it is general mindfulness. So that even when you are working also, you are practicing meditation. If you sleep before also, you are practicing meditation. Whatever you do also, if you are mindful, you are practicing meditation. That is a distortion of facts. Some monks, because of not studying the suttas, they say it's general mindfulness. So that whatever you put your mind to, as long as you are aware of it, as long as you are mindful, you are practicing Vipassana.

(EA09)-15-Sampajanna-Practice

As now, the sutra says, we are supposed to be practicing this satipatthana all the time. That means, when you are sitting down in meditation, you practice, for example, anapanasati, because your object is trying to get one-pointedness of mind. Now, when you are not sitting down in meditation, if you are working, then of course you have to practice sampajanya. Whatever you are doing, you have to be mindful of what you do. For example, you cut vegetables, you are not mindful, you cut your finger. So, when you are not working, and you are not sitting in meditation, for example, you are sitting in a bus, then you put your attention on these four objects of Satipatthana. Don't let it have stray thoughts, think of this and that. That means either you think of the Dharma you have learned, or you contemplate, for example, the corpses, the different types of corpses, or you contemplate the 32 parts of your body, or you contemplate the four elements of your body, or you are aware of your feelings as they arise and pass away, or you are aware of the perceptions or the thoughts in your mind as they arise and pass away. So, all the time you put your attention on this. But when you are sitting down, you should try to attain one-pointedness of mind, jhana, by contemplating on it. But when you are, for example, sitting in a bus or driving a car, you can't be doing your Anapanasati, then you are aware of your mind, or you are aware of the dharma.

(EA09)-16-MN-125-Dantabhumi-Sutta-(The-Grade-of-the-Tamed)

There's one sutra called the Dantabhumi Sutra, Majjhima Nikaya 125. The Buddha said, come monks, abide contemplating the body in the body, but do not think thoughts connected with the body. Abide contemplating feelings as feelings, but do not think thoughts connected with feelings. Abide contemplating mind in the mind, but do not think thoughts connected with the mind. Abide contemplating Dhamma in Dhamma, but do not think thoughts connected with Dhamma. So here you are saying that you are just aware, but don't think. But when it comes to Dharma, just now I read one sutra, when you reflect on Dharma, you can think about it. But feelings, you don't think. Feelings, you are just aware that feelings arise and pass away. So just don't attach to it.

(EA09)-17-Practice-on-32-Parts-of-the-Body

Contemplating is in two parts of the body. You can either do it slow or you do it fast. You chant the 32 parts of the body. If you chant slow, then you contemplate one by one. Head, hair. Think of the nature of head, hair. Body, hair. Think of the nature of body, hair. Nails, teeth, skin, flesh. Like that. But if you want to practice concentration, then you chant fast. Without thinking. Just to keep the mind from thinking. depending on the state of your mind. That's why the Buddha said about the cook who observes what his boss likes to eat. So in the same way, we have to observe our mind. If your mind is, for example, your mind is weak, you tend to think a lot or you tend to fall asleep easily, then you need to practice concentration. So you do your chanting all the time. Don't let the mind become weak. So we have to be very observant of the state of our mind. That's why I say that you pick up the sign of your mind.

(EA09)-18-Difficult-for-Laypeople-to-Practice-Meditation

During the Buddha's time, the Buddha did not teach lay people meditation. Buddha asked the lay people to know the Dhamma, the Suttas. Because it's actually very difficult for lay people to practice meditation. And you have to worry about your family, worry about how to earn your livelihood, and all these things. It's very hard. Otherwise, why do we become monks if we can practice at home and at the same time enjoy life? Just like a lot of people, they want to put their feet in two boats, enjoy life as well as want to become an anagami.

(EA09)-19-Perfect-Sila-(Ariyan-Sila)

When you say perfect sila, you are talking about the seven precepts, three body precepts and four verbal precepts plus right livelihood, that is Aryan sila. So it is not that difficult. The Buddha says that Arya has perfect sila, but it does not mean he does not break the minor precepts. Arya can still break the minor precepts. But he does not hide. Putujana, if he does something wrong, he tries to hide. But Arya is very straightforward. If he does something wrong, he will say... So the standard of perfect sila is not that high. That's why in one sutta, Sarakani Sutta, one man used to drink... A lot of people didn't believe that he was a Suttapanna. And this Sutta, I like to stress here, that after the Buddha heard that a lot of people did not believe him, that Sarakani is a Suttapanna, then the Buddha said, why should not Sarakani be a Suttapanna? He has learned the Dharma for a long time, practiced the Dharma for a long time. Then the Buddha said, don't talk about Sarakani. The Buddha said, look at these trees. If these trees can understand what I say, even they also can become a Sotapanna. If Sotapanna is by meditation, the Buddha would have said, if these trees know how to meditate, I teach them meditation, they also can become Sotapanna. The Buddha did not say that. The Buddha said that if they can understand what I say, They can distinguish what is good, what is bad. They also can become Suttapanna. We show very clearly that Suttapanna is by listening to the Buddha's words, by meditation.

(EA09)-20-Five-Occassions-of-Liberation

Sister, you also mentioned that there are five ways to liberation. One is going to dharma, teaching dharma, reflecting on dharma, and the last one is meditation. On the samadhi nimitta. On the samadhi nimitta. Does that mean that you don't need dharma? As long as you meditate on the samadhi nimitta, then you can... No, no, no. These are the five occasions of liberation. at the moment that person becomes liberated is only during these five occasions, no other occasion. So, for example, the person who listens to the Dhamma and becomes an Arahant, if he does not have the four Jhanas, it is not possible for him to become liberated. But it is possible for him to listen to the same Dhamma and become a Sri Mentor. Two persons listening to the same Sutta different result. One with jhana can become an arahant. The one without jhana can become a stream-enterer. See a lot of people, they jump into meditation without studying the sutras. And many of them, they don't know that they are either practicing the wrong meditation or the wrong way of meditating because they have full faith in their teacher. They forget that the teacher is not the arahant.

(EA09)-21-Importance-of-Jhanas

Once a person has attained four jhanas, the sutra says that many, many things, it becomes very clear to him. Because once he attains the four jhanas, he eliminates the five hindrances. It's not like some vipassana teachers say that when you are in jhana, you eliminate the five hindrances. When you come out of jhana, the five hindrances come back. Not like that. In the sutras, once you attain the jhanas, you come out of jhana also, hindrances are eliminated already. That's why in the sutra the Buddha says when a person, even before he attains the jhana, when he attains threshold concentration or excess concentration, the five hindrances already fall away. And then he becomes very happy as though the debt that he owed has paid back, he's free. And a lot of similes are given as though he's freed from prison and all that. That's now I read to you that Suttama, this one, Vajimanikaya 68. While he still does not attain to the delight and pleasure, piti and sukha, that are secluded from sensual pleasures and secluded from unwholesome states, meaning the first jhana, or to something more peaceful than that, meaning the higher jhanas, covetousness, ill will, sloth and topper, restlessness and remorse, doubt, discontent, weariness invade his mind and remains. When he attains to the delight and pleasure that are secluded from sensual pleasures and secluded from unwholesome states, or to something more peaceful than that, covetousness, ill will, sloth and torpor, restlessness and remorse, doubt, discontent, weariness, do not invade his mind and remain anymore.

(EA09)-22-Dependent-Origination

Basically, dependent origination, there's not much to understand. Just that everything in this world arises through conditions. There's nothing that exists by itself. That's why when Venerable Ananda, he told the Buddha, he said he understands dependent origination. He's very clear about it. He thinks it's very simple. And the Buddha said, don't say so. Dependent Origination is very deep. Actually, in the Vinaya books, even after the Buddha was enlightened, he wanted to understand Dependent Origination. He sat through the whole night looking, looking, using his psychic power to see beings and how they arise and pass away and everything. He spent four hours seeing how Dependent Origination arises. Then another four hours, how it ceases. and then another four hours how he arises and ceases after 12 hours only then he could say he really understood and because he had seen it with his psychic eye then he says it's very profound whereas Ananda without his psychic eye he could just understand it superficially so he thought it's very simple

(EA09)-23-Radiation-of-Loving-kindness-by-the-Mind

Actually, in the sutras, you are supposed to get jhana first, then only practice this, what the Buddha calls radiation of loving kindness by the mind. So, if you don't have samadhi, strong concentration, you only imagine you radiate metta, but nobody can feel it, is it? When I was a small boy, I was in the Catholic school. So these Christian brothers used to give us photos, holy pictures of the saints. Sometimes you see this saint, the deer will come to him, the birds will sit on his shoulder, on his head. Because he has so much metta, the animals can feel, they can come. But that is real, real metta. Like the Buddha in the suttas, he says he radiates his loving kindness to one quarter of the world, then another quarter, then another quarter. Actually, there's something that goes out that other beings can feel. But for most people, we imagine. Virtual reality. When I first came into the Dhamma, I was very new to the Dhamma. So I studied the Dhamma, then I found Compassion and metta are always very appealing. So that time I was working in Kuantan with our major Lim here. We were in the same army camp. And we learned Kung Fu from one old man. He was very good in Kung Fu. So one day I followed that old man to the forest. He wanted to look for herbs. And then when I remembered the metta and all that, compassion, so when I was in the forest, I thought there's a lot of unseen beings around. So I thought of loving kindness towards them and all that. That night when I came back, I had such a sweet and pleasant dream. The next morning when I woke up, I felt so special that night. So maybe the devas also give me metta. Also, another time, I was practicing this compassion and neta. And I found at night when I slept, I had all these cartoon dreams, you know. Very clear. So nice. Walt Disney. Actually, our dreams tell us something about our state of our mind. They are good dreams. It's a good sign. A bad dream is a bad sign.