a honed and heavy axe

8/13/2019 A Honed and Heavy Axe

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A HONED AND HEAVY AXE

Samatha and Vipassanin Harmony

To all the beings who have ever been my teacher.

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A HONED AND HEAVY AXE

Samatha and Vipassan in HarmonyAjahn Chandako

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May all beings be free from all suffering.

Copyright 2004Ajahn Chandako

For Free Distribution only

All commercial rights reserved.Any reproduction, in whole or in part, in any form, for sale, profit ormaterial gain, is prohibited. However, permission to re-print for freedistribution may be obtained upon request from the author.

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AbbreviationsDN Digha Nikya

MN Majjhima NikyaSN Samyutta NikyaAN Anguttara NikyaSn Sutta NiptaIt Itivuttaka

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The Axe

Imagine you need to chop down a dead tree with an axe. To besuccessful the axe will have to be both sharp and reasonably heavy. Butwhere does sharpness end and weight begin? Its clear that even with greateffort neither using a razorblade nor a baseball bat is going to do the trick.

In the context of Buddhist meditation practice the weight of the axemay be compared to serenity (samatha), its sharpness to insight (vipassan).

These two aspects of meditation play the crucial roles in awakening beingsto the nature of reality and releasing them from suffering. By examining themost ancient texts attributed to the Buddha as well as some popularcontemporary approaches, we can take a close look at the mutuallysupportive relationship between these two pillars of spiritual development.

The word vipassan has come to be associated with particularmeditation techniques or a style of Buddhist practice in the Theravadatradition. What the Buddha originally taught however was samatha/vipassan. Samatha means the calm and tranquility that result fromsustained attention on one object, process or perception. Vipassan refers toclear seeing. When they are both present, a persons heart and mind are inbalance. Samatha is unifying, unconditionally accepting and non-discriminating. It is still, bright, radiant, internally silent and blissful. The

peace of mind it affords is a refined emotion. Vipassan on the other hand,arises from the discerning side of the mind. It dissects, investigates,compares, contrasts and evaluates. It observes and analyzes the changing,unfulfilling and selfless nature of all conditioned physical and mentalphenomena.

While samatha generates energy, vipassan puts it to work. These twowere not originally intended to be different styles of Buddhist meditation

with different goals, but merely two interrelated themes of one harmoniouspath ofDhammapractice leading toNibbna, enlightenment. The combinedresult is wisdom: a deep perceptual change that aligns our understanding

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with the truths of nature. The Buddha taught a wide variety of meditationthemes in response to the differing needs and inclinations of the individualsinvolved, but they all incorporated and wove serenity and insight into astrong and flexible fabric of freedom. Together, both samatha and vipassanwork to liberate the mind.

Before proceeding further it may be helpful to clarify some terms.Samatha is virtually synonymous with samdhi: peaceful, focused attentionor concentration. Samm-samdhi, right or perfected samdhi, is the eighthfactor of the Noble Eightfold Path. For samdhi to be right and leading toNibbna, there must be clear mindful awareness (sati) moment by moment.A state of samdhi without clear awareness may also feel peaceful andrelaxing but is not part of the Buddhist path. Samdhi that arises from

unwholesome states of mind is called wrong samdhi (micch samdhi),because it does not lead to Nibbna. The perfection of samdhi is called

jhna, meditative states of deep mental unification and peace. The Buddhataught four distinct levels of jhna and four immaterial attainments (togetheroften referred to as the eight jhnas).After the Buddha passed away, thecommentaries on the original teachings introduced many new concepts andterms. For example, full-absorption (appan) samdhi refers to jhna.Threshold (upacra) samdhi is concentration which is not as deep as

jhna but on its doorstep. Momentary (khaika) samdhi refers to thesustained awareness that arises from being mindful of many differentobjects of attention in succession, rather than focusing on a singlemeditation object. This last concept effectively redefined samdhi asmindful awareness.

It is unclear precisely when samatha and vipassan began to bedistinguished as different modes of Dhamma practice. It may well have

started shortly after the Buddhas passing away. Certainly, by the time ofthe commentaries1the terms samathaynikaand vipassanynikawere inuse to describe people whose main emphasis (or vehicle) was either one orthe other. It is here that the term dry-insight meditator (sukkhavipassaka)is first found. This refers to a person who only develops momentarysamdhi or practices insight meditation without any samatha whatsoever,maintaining a bare, non-discursive, moment-to-moment observation of thechanging process of the body and mind. At this point in history the

references to dry-insight were still few and brief. It is only in the sub-

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1The Visuddhimagga and other commentaries were written down in the fifth century AD by Acariya Buddhaghosa.


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commentarial literature where samathayna and vipassanyna areelaborated upon and described as distinctly different paths of practice.

These commentarial additions have been the subject of some controversy. Inparticular the question has often been raised as to whether momentarysamdhi fulfils the factor of right samdhi in the Noble Eightfold Path.

Right Samdhi

The Buddha taught that it is impossible to realize Nibbna withoutperfecting all eight parts of the Noble Eightfold Path. In the collection of histeachings, the suttas, the definition the Buddha overwhelmingly gives forright samdhi on that Path is the first four jhnas.

And what, fr iends, is r ight samdhi? Here, quite secluded from sensualpleasures, having withdrawn from unwholesome states of mind, a bhikkhu

enters upon and abides in the fi rst jhna, which is accompanied by theplacing and holding of attention, with rapture and happiness born ofseclusion. With the sti l l ing of the placing and holding of attention, he entersupon and abides in the second jhna, which has self-confidence andsingleness of mind without the placing and holding of attention, withrapture and happiness born of concentration. With the fading away ofrapture, he abides in equanimity, and mindful and fully aware, sti l l feelinghappiness, he enters upon and abides in the third jhna, on account of

which noble ones announce: He has a pleasant abiding who hasequanimity and is mindful. With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, andwith the previous disappearance of joy and grief, he enters upon and abidesin the fourth jhna, which has neither-pain-norpleasure and purity ofmindfulness due to equanimity. This is r ight samdhi.

This is called the Noble Truth of the Path leading to the cessation ofsuffering.

DN 22.21MN 141.31

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This Dhamma is for one with samdhi, not for one without samdhi. Soit was said. For what reason was this said? Here a monk enters and abidesin the fi rst jhna second jhna thi rd jhna fourth jhna.

AN 8.30

I say, monks, that the destruction of the mind s poisons is dependent on thefi rstsecondthir dfourth jhna.

AN 9.36

What then is the experience of jhna? The minds energy graduallypulls away from its usual dispersion at the various sense doors and gathersinternally. Any negative emotions or unwholesome states of minddisappear. The sensation of having a body disappears. One feels light and

joyful, and the mind becomes silent without any thinking whatsoever. Theminds awareness then focuses more and more intently on the minds ownreflection, usually experienced as radiant brightness, until the subject/objectrelationship melts away into an experience of oneness. The mind is thenunified, immobile and rapturous. There is no awareness of the externalworld. What remains is the essential knowing nature of the mind,boundless and clearly aware. This state can last from a few minutes to manydays. Such profound meditative experiences form the basis for mysticism in

many spiritual traditions. An all-pervading clarity and purity, a sense ofprofound unity, and a deeply satisfying blissthese are the hallmarks of

jhna.

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Jhna and Wisdom

For someone wi th both jhna and wisdom, Nibbna is near.Dhp 372

After the Buddha-to-be (Bodhisatta) had taken the path of extremeasceticism and self-denial to its limit and had still failed to attain liberation,

he remembered an occasion when he was a young boy sitting in the shade ofa rose-apple tree while his father performed a royal ceremony. As he waitedthere his mind spontaneously calmed to the point of entering the first jhna,and he experienced a joy more wonderful than he had ever known. It nowoccurred to the famished Bodhisatta, Could this be the path toenlightenment? Intuitively the answer came, Yes, this is the path. Whyam I afraid of the happiness that has nothing to do with sensual pleasures orunwholesome states of mind? He then ended his torturous fasting and

made his way to the Bodhi Tree. There he sat down and directed his focusedattention into the deeper and deeper levels of jhna, and after emerging hewas able to contemplate with a clarity that uprooted all of his mentalpoisons. Thus he fully awakened, and was thereafter known as the Buddha.

When the Buddha later considered teaching, he pondered who wouldmost easily understand. The first people who came to mind were his twoformer teachers. Having already mastered the immaterial attainments, they

had the foundation to understand what he had discovered. If a person hasdeveloped samdhi deeply and is well acquainted with the main conceptsand contemplations of the Buddhas Dhamma, enlightening wisdom arisesrelatively easily. As the Buddha taught,

For a person with r ight samdhi there is no need to arouse the wish, MayI see things as they truly are. It is a natural process, it is in accordancewith nature, that someone with r ight samdhi wi l l see things as they truly

are. AN 10.3

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This in turn is the condition for the turning away from and fadingaway of passion, for liberation and Nibbna. Similarly,

For a person lacking right samdhi, seeing things as they truly are isdestroyed...the turning away from and fading away of passion isdestroyed...and (the opportunity for) l iberation is destroyed.

AN 5.24

The Buddha said it is impossible to have liberating insight as long asone or more of the five hindrances are infecting the mind (AN 5.51). Thesemental obstacles are grouped as 1) sensual desire, an attraction to andpreoccupation with the world of the five senses, 2) anger, aversion,frustration, disappointment, 3) dullness or drowsiness, 4) restlessness and

remorse and 5) doubt. If any of these or related states are present, the heartwill be agitated and confused. The five hindrances make the mind rigid,weak and unworkable. Ignorance feeds on the five hindrances. They are thecause and condition for deluded understanding, and without the innerstillness and silence of samatha it is almost certain that the mind is stillbeing haunted by their influence (MN 68.6).

The sustained absence of the five hindrances is what constitutes

threshold samdhi. Here the six senses are functioning, but in a zone ofpeace. This is wisdoms workshop. This is where investigation and analysiscan yield significant results. For a substantial period of time after emergingfrom jhna one is fully freed of these deluding hindrances, and the resultantsensitive, flexible and radiant mind is ready for clear seeing. What is seen isseen in accordance with reality.

There is a qualitative difference between threshold samdhi without

jhna and threshold samdhi afterjhna. The latter is far more energized. Itis far less clouded. It is as if the windows of sense consciousness, dirty fromdesire, anger and delusion, have been suddenly wiped clean, and the forestoutside is seen bathed in sparkling sunshine. Normally the mind filters andwarps what is experienced through deeply conditioned habits of perception.What we think we see and hear may be very different from reality. Evenduring periods of relative calm, when it feels as if we are seeing life clearly,fundamentally deluded assumptions still hold tight and distort. Immediately

after jhna however, most of the perverted perceptions that mask basicsense data are temporarily subdued. This is the window where bareawareness is possible.

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Jhna empowers mindful awareness. Both samatha and vipassan are

based on developing continuous sharp mindfulness in the present moment,but mindfulness alone does not have the ability to enlighten. A moment ofmindfulness is not a moment of enlightenment. Mindfulness needs to befocused and directed. Jhna gives the mind strength, so that when wecontemplate something our understanding has the ability to deeply penetrateto its essential nature. What we see sinks in. Samdhi holds our gaze steady,so that we can see an object clearly. It can be compared to a hand holding amirror still so that we can take a good look at ourselves. While samatha onits own does not have the ability to uproot ignorance, vipassan on its owntends to merely skim the surface of reality without penetrating. Together thebenefits are unlimited.

Deep samdhi offers an experience of true silence, a profound innersolitude. It frees the mind from the inane babble of thoughts, from thetyranny of chattering opinions. True insight does not arise from reasoning.Certainly, pondering Dhamma by mulling it over in the rock-polishingtumbler of disciplined thought can pave the way to insight with smoothstones, but the pondering eventually becomes an obstacle in itself. Thethinking mind is not wisdom. The intellect is incapable of directly

experiencing reality. It has already been tainted by our basic views of theworld. Because our thoughts, views and perceptions so fundamentally shapeour reality, it requires a radically different experience to challenge them andshake the unenlightened mind awake. One of the challenges for the highlyeducated meditator is to renounce indulging in or identifying withfascinating thoughts. It requires a willingness to be simple-minded, asutterly still and quiet as a breezeless mountaintop with no one there.

When samatha reaches its peak of unification and lucid awareness,significant parts of what one had previously assumed to be immutableaspects of oneself cease for some time. That which forms intentions to act,speak and think disappears in jhna. The functioning of the five senses alsoceases, so one receives no sense impressions from outside. Because while in

jhna the mind is completely focused on only one object of awareness, it isimpossible to investigate at that time. Once a person emerges from that statehowever, the experience of having known a different level of reality cannot

help but to change ones view of what the world is and what obstructsgreater freedom.

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It is impossible to abandon the fetters (that bind us to samsara:samyojana) wi thout having perfected samdhi. And without abandoningthose fetters it is impossible to realize Nibbna.

AN 6.68

Even should we wish to solely develop samatha without any vipassanwhatsoever, as a matter of course we will also develop a non-discursiveobservation of the body and mind. This dynamic samdhi is aware of theflow of internal and external phenomena, precisely what vipassantechniques aim to develop. Therefore, in practice, so-called momentarysamdhi develops naturally alongside samatha meditation.

In the process of making an effort to develop samdhi throughrepeating a word internally, watching the breath, cultivating loving-kindnessor some other pure samatha technique, one inevitably gains much insightinto the workings of the mind. At each stage the reason that the mind wontgo deeper into samdhi is because of some attachment. It is then necessaryto seek out and understand what it is that we are attached to.

The more refined the samdhi becomes, the more subtle and deep are

the attachments that we discover that craving and clinging that prevents usfrom experiencing an even more profound peace and happiness. Withoutdeveloping meditation it is very difficult to see the defiled motivations andassumptions that usually dictate how we live our lives, and withoutdeveloping jhna it may well be impossible to have insight into the mostsubtle attachments which block enlightenment. Through uncovering, theninvestigating and finally overcoming the obstacles to peace of mind, welearn much about ourselves as samdhi deepens and becomes increasingly

lofty.

That one could perfect wisdom without perfecting samdhi--this isimpossible.

AN 5.22

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Sweet RaptureBorn of Detachment

It is natural that the more pure the mind becomes, the more happinessarises. The belief (or unrecognized assumption) that by punishing oneselfthrough not allowing any happiness whatsoever one will become holy wasrejected by the Buddha. In outlining the Middle Way he taught that by

letting go of both self-punishment and self-indulgence in sensuality a personexperiences a refined and satisfying happiness. This organic process isdescribed in many places in the suttas.

When someone knows that the heart is free of the five hindrances, then joyarises, from joy comes bliss, when there is bliss, the body is tranquil , withtr anqui l ity one feels happiness and happiness leads to samdhi.In this way, being detached from sense desires, detached from unwholesome

states of mind, one enters and remains in the fi rst jhna, with the placingand holding of attention, born of detachment, filled with bliss andhappiness. One then suffuses, drenches, fi l ls and radiates this bli ss andhappiness unti l there is no spot untouched by it.

DN 2.75

Samdhi offers a blameless, unblemished happiness that arises fromwithin. This makes the path of the Buddha one of joy and contentment. He

praised jhna as a happy abiding here and now and Nibbna here andnow. It is precisely the intensity of this unworldly bliss that is the carrot forenticing the heart away from attachment to the world.

Having experienced a happiness superior to that offered by sensepleasures, it might be reasonable to assume that one would become attachedto it. In fact it is impossible to become attached to jhnas in a way thatwould lead to suffering (dukkha). By their very nature jhnas are states of

relinquishing attachment. It is possible though to relish their sweetnesslonger than necessary and thereby delay ones progress. It is also a normaloccurrence that a person skilled in entering jhnas will initially misinterpret

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them as some level of enlightenment. At this stage the power of samdhi isable to continuously keep mental impurities at bay, whether meditating ornot. The roots of the minds defilements however, are still lurking below thesurface, or they may arise in only extremely subtle ways.

But such overestimation of ones meditative experiences is already anadvanced stage of development. Meditators who are proficient in the jhnashave greatly reduced the deeply ingrained deluded inclination to seekgratification through the avenues of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, physicalsensations and thinking. If they are familiar with and interested in followingthe Buddhas teachings, then they are well on their way to Nibbna. Itssimply that they have not yet arrived.

Bhikkhus, just as the Ganges River slants, slopes and inclines towards theocean, so too a bhikkhu who develops and culti vates the four jhnas slants,slopes and inclines towards Nibbna.

SN 53.6

During the Buddhas lifetime there were ascetics from other sects whocriticized him and his disciples for indulging in the pleasure of meditation.

The Buddha responded:

There are these four kinds of l i fe devoted to pleasure which are enti relyconducive to disenchantment, to the fading away of passion, to cessation, totranquil i ty, to realization, to enlightenment, and to Nibbna. What are they?[ The Buddha then gives the stock definition of the four jhnas mentionedabove.] So if wanderers from other sects should say that the fol lowers of theSakyan are addicted to these four forms of pleasure-seeking, they should betold: Yes , for they would be speaking correctly about you. They would not

be slandering you wi th false or untrue statements.Then such wanderers might ask: Well then, those who are given to

these four forms of pleasure-seeking what results, what benefi ts couldthey hope to achieve? And you should reply: They can expect four results,four benefi ts. What are they? The fi rst i s when a monk by the destruction ofthr ee fetters has become a Stream-Winner (Sotapnna, the fi rst stage ofenlightenment), no more subject to rebirth in lower worlds, firmlyestabl ished, destined for ful l enlightenment; the second is when a monk by

the complete destruction of three fetters and the reduction of passion,hatred and delusion, has become a Once-Returner , who, after returningonce more to this world, wil l put an end to suffer ing; the third is when a

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monk, through the complete destruction of the five lower fetters, is destinedto be spontaneously reborn [ in the Brahma realm], and wil l attain Nibbnawithout returning from that realm. The fourth is when a monk, in this verylife, through the destruction of the mental poisons, through his ownunderstanding and realization, has attained to Arahantship, to theliberation of the heart through wisdom. Such are the four results and thefour benefi ts that one given to these four forms of pleasure-seeking canexpect.

DN 29.24,25

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Vipassan On Its Own

Within the wide spectrum of contemporary Buddhist meditationpractices there are some methods which give unique prominence tovipassan. These vipassan techniques emphasize investigation anddownplay the importance of samatha. Dwelling in samdhi is consideredoptional or discouraged.

Traditionally these schools of Dhamma practice trace their roots to asutta in theAnguttara Nikya(AN 4.170) where Venerable Ananda outlinesthe four ways one may attain enlightenment. The first is the standard patternof samatha leading to vipassan, leading to realization. The second (thepoint in question) is vipassan leading to samatha, leading to realization.

The third is jhna and vipassan alternating, which deepens jhna and thenleads to realization. The fourth has to do with recognizing that one has

overestimated ones meditative attainments and consequently correcting themisinterpretation, resulting in realization. There is in fact no path mentionedof vipassan leading straight to realization. On the contrary, the messageseems to be that different meditators will have different inclinations, butonly when samatha and vipassan settle into a healthy balance willrealization occur.

The move to marginalize the role of samdhi in the path of practice

was not unforeseen by the Buddha. As it says in the suttas,

There are five detr imental things that lead to the decay and disappearanceof the true Dhamma. What are the fi ve? Here, the bhikkhus, bhikkhunis,laymen and laywomen dwell without reverence and deference towards theTeacher (the Buddha), the Dhamma, the ordained Sangha, thetraining and samdhi.

SN 16.13

The commentary defines dwelling without reverence and deferencetowards samdhi as not attaining, or attempting to attain, the eight jhnas.

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Nevertheless, vipassan techniques have been successful in helping

large numbers of people bring understanding into their lives and freeingtheir hearts from pain and suffering. One possible explanation for this is thatthe success of vipassan practice depends largely on the degree to which itis practiced in balance with samatha. Some people have a natural gift forsamdhi, and it develops without great effort. Also, in pre-modern times itseems that bringing the mind to a silent inner stillness was much easier. Inold Burma (presently Myanmar) where the current vipassan techniquesoriginated, conditions of life were very different than for the modernmeditator. Taking a person who grew up in that Buddhist culture, wherestrong faith in the Dhamma and good morality were normal; where life(especially in the countryside) was very simple; where interest in meditation

was widespread; and cloistering them alone in a room for weeks or monthsdoing twelve or more hours of meditation a day, it is easy to imagine thatthey would generate considerable samdhi possibly enough to supportdeep insight.

Even today vipassan retreats rely on creating special conditions: littleor no speaking, reading, eye contact or external distractions. These areconditions which generate samdhi. Some retreats focus exclusively on

mindfulness of breathing (npnasati) for the initial portion in order tointentionally develop samdhi as a preliminary foundation. Others teach thatin the field of awareness of a vipassan yogi the breath should takepreference. Thus in the beginning stages, the difference between that andmindfulness of breathing is minimal. In Western countries especially,vipassan centers are finding it increasingly beneficial to teach loving-kindness and compassion meditation (mett, karun bhvan). The aim is toliberate the heart (albeit temporarily) through boundless, undifferentiating

and impartial positive states of mind precisely what jhna is. In actualexperience it seems that vipassan techniques offer the optimal benefitwhen combined with samatha.

And what, bhikkhus, is the path leading to the unconditi oned? Samathaand vipassan.

SN 43.2

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ReferencesFrom the Pali Canon

As far as we know the Buddha never taught a way of Dhammapractice that would correspond with what we think of today as vipassanmeditation. It seems that there was originally no path of dry-insight. In theentire collection of teachings there is hardly a single reference to vipassan

where it is not conjoined with either samatha or jhna.

Consider the following examples. Right view is assisted by fivefactors in order for it to mature in liberation of the heart by wisdom: virtue,learning, discussion, samatha and vipassan (MN 43.14). Also, for one whohas brought the Noble Eightfold Path to fulfillment, samatha and vipassanoccur yoked evenly together (MN 49.10). Venerable Sariputtas method ofattaining arahantship is described (MN 111.2) as insight into states one by

one as they occurred.2 It sounds like insight only, but the states that hewas contemplating were the factors of the four jhnas and four immaterialattainments. Finally, in the sutta on Mindfulness of Breathing (MN 118) theinstructions given for meditating on the breath are a step by step processthat includes both calm and insight and culminates in enlightenment.

The definition of right mindfulness of the Noble Eightfold Path is thefour focuses of mindfulness (satipatthna). Although there is no support in

the suttas for equating vipassan with the four focuses of mindfulness, thevipassan schools tend to look to these suttas for inspiration and

justification. The Maha Satipatthna Sutta (DN 22) however, defines rightsamdhi as the jhnas. The suttas also state that satipatthna should beundertaken after the mind is freed from covetousness and grief for theworld.3This phrase is a synonym for the five hindrances. For the mind tobe purified of the five hindrances for long periods of time requires stablesamdhi. The Buddha also taught (MN 125.23-25) that one purpose of the

four focuses of mindfulness is to subdue a monks or nuns memories and2anupada dhamma vipassan

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3abhijjh-domanassa


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motivations concerned with lay life in order to enter jhna. This then leadsto purification of the mind and complete enlightenment. So the four focusesof mindfulness were intended either to be taken up after samdhi hadalready been established or as tools for developing samdhi.

The main scholastic justification for considering samatha optional isfound not in the suttas, but in the commentaries and sub-commentaries. Thecommentarial tradition does hold that the stages of enlightenment mustoccur at a mental level of jhnic intensity in order to fulfill the factor ofright samdhi. They however maintain that a single mind moment of jhnais sufficient. Practically speaking, it seems that it is precisely the sustainingof focused energy for long periods of time that creates the power necessaryto cut through delusion and realize enlightenment.

This realization of full enlightenment has two aspects: liberation ofmind4, which refers to jhna, and liberation through wisdom.5So intimatelyintertwined are calm and insight that the peak of vipassan, the insight intoand realization of Nibbna, is described by the Buddha in many places as:

This is peaceful . This is sublime. That is, sabbe sankhra samatha , thecomplete calming of al l conditioned phenomena.

The peak of samatha meanwhile, a state known as the cessation ofperception and feeling6, inevitably leads to the insight resulting in the thirdstage of enlightenment7. The Buddha even likened jhnas to finalenlightenment8, indicating the profundity of the cessation involved. Theseexamples all make a clear and important point: samatha and vipassan arefundamentally inseparable.

4

cetovimutti5pavimutti6saavedayitanirodha or nirodha sampatti7angm

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8parinibbna, AN 4.453,4


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Sutta Quotes

Sariputta, a bhikkhu should consider: Are samatha and vipassandeveloped in me? If by reflecting he knows, Samatha and vipassan arenot developed in me, then he should make an effort to develop them. But i fupon reflection he knows, Samatha and vipassan are developed in me,then he can abide happy and glad, tr aining day and night in wholesome

states of mind.MN 151.19

And what, bhikkhus, is the path leading to the unconditioned?Samdhi with the placing and holding of attention (first j hna)

SN 43.3

And what, bhikkhus, is the path leading to the unconditioned? Emptiness

samdhi (suat samdhi). SN 43.4

Whoever develops loving-kindness to the level of boundlessness [ jhna]and aims their mind toward seeing the end of bir th, their fetters are wornthin.

AN 8.1

I f a bhikkhu should wish: May I abide in the liberation of mind andliberation through wisdomlet him ful fi l l the precepts, be devoted tointernal serenity of mind, not neglect jhna, be possessed of insight anddwell in empty huts.

MN 6.19

Bhikkhus, develop samdhi. A bhikkhu who has developed samdhiunderstands things as they truly are.

SN 22.5

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Live enjoying seclusion, bhikkhus. Li ve delighting in seclusion. Engage indeveloping the mind in samatha, not neglecting the jhnas; practicingvipassan and frequenting empty places.

It 45

One who is vigi lantly mindful wi th clear comprehension, who has welldeveloped concentration, who finds joy in the success of others and is calm;by correctly contemplating all things with a unified heart, wil l in due time,destroy the darkness of ignorance. Therefore be devoted to vigilance; anardent, discerning and jhna-realizing bhikkhu.

It 47

The essence of well-spoken words is understanding. The essence oflearning and understanding is samdhi.

Sn 329

Intent on jhna, firmly resolute, delighting in a forest grove, one shouldmeditate at the foot of a tr ee: joyfulIn the discipline of l iving alone, in theservice of hermits, i t is the silence of solitude that is wisdom.

Sn 709,718

As long as one has not yet realized the bli ss and happiness that is secludedfrom sensual pleasures and secluded from unwholesome states of mind[ referr ing to the fi rst or second jhna] or something more peaceful thanthat, then the fi ve hindrances together wi th discontent and weariness invadethe mind and remain.

MN 68.6

One trains in the higher vir tue, the higher mind, and the higher wisdom

What i s the training in the higher mind? Here a monk enters and abidesin the first jhna second jhna thi rd jhna four th jhna.

AN 3.84, 88, 89

Samdhi is the path. No samdhi is a bad path.AN 6.64

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The Thai Forest Tradition andVenerable Ajahn Chah

One of the most vibrant of todays contemplative traditions emergedout of the forests, mountains and caves of North-east Thailand. In thesecircles of Dhamma practice samatha and vipassan are taught hand in hand.Probably the most renowned of these Thai Forest Masters is Venerable

Ajahn Chah.

Ajahn Chahs down-to-earth style of teaching was characterized by theuse of numerous metaphors drawn from the natural world, including manyillustrating the relationship between serenity and insight.

Meditation is like a single stick of wood. Vipassan is one end of the stickand samatha the other. If we pick it up, does only one end come up or do

both? Insight has to develop out of peace and tranquility. The entire processwill happen naturally of its own accord. We cant force it.9

Ajahn Chah compared these two facets of mental cultivation to the

biting and tasting of an apple. They are different, but how can we taste theapple without taking a bite? Referring to samdhi and wisdom he asks, Is amango when its unripe and when its ripe the same or different? Its thesame mango, yet samdhi is continually ripening into wisdom.

Samdhi forms the foundation for contemplation and vipassan.Everything experienced with a peaceful mind confers greaterunderstanding.10

Ajahn Chah taught that vipassan is like striking a match. It bringsforth light, but the flame only lasts for a flash. Developing samatha is likedipping a wick in hot wax to make a candle. The more you dip it, the

stronger it gets. By itself a candle doesnt give off any light, but it has much9Unshakeable Peace, Venerable Ajahn Chah

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potential. If you then use the match to light the candle, you have a source ofsustained light that dispels darkness and makes vision possible.

The Buddha often compared the range of mental states to water in itsvarious forms, be it muddy, boiling or crystal clear. Ajahn Chah vividlyillustrated the relationship between samatha and vipassan with his similestill, flowing water.

Ive often taught that tranquility is stillness; flowing is wisdom. Wepractice meditation to calm the mind and make it sti l l ; then it can flow.In the beginning we learn what sti l l water is l ike and what flowing water islike. After practicing for a while we wil l see how these two support eachother. We have to make the mind calm, li ke sti l l water. Then it flows. Bothbeing sti l l and flowing: this is not easy to contemplate.We can understand that sti l l water doesn t flow. We can understand thatflowing water isn t sti l l . But when we practice we take hold of both of these.The mind of a true practi tioner is l ike sti l l water that flows, or flowing waterthat s sti l l ...This is something we ve never seen...I f you have reached the Dhamma, then at al l times you wil l have thisexperience. Being tranquil and having wisdom: flowing, yet sti l l . Sti l l , yetflowing.11

It is perhaps a significant observation that all of the relatively large

numbers of Thai Forest monks, nuns and laypeople of the past and presentcentury reputed to be enlightened seem to have had the ability to enter

jhna12. Although Ajahn Chah is better known for his teachingsemphasizing the development of wisdom, he himself mastered samdhi tothe degree that he apparently could enter jhna on one in-breath. With sucha solid foundation, sense contact can be a fount of wisdom. As he advised,

These days there are many people teaching vipassan. I will say this: doingvipassan is not an easy matter. We cant simply jump straight into it. As Isee it, if we attempt to skip straight to vipassan, we will find it impossibleto successfully complete the journey.13

11Everything is Teaching Us, Venerable Ajahn Chah12

In the Thai Forest Tradition the deepest levels of samdhi are usually referred to by the term appan rather than jhna.

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A Mind of Harmony

The question of the role of samatha is so significant precisely becauseit begins to define an entire way of approaching life. Hundreds of minordecisions made throughout the day may hinge on the degree to which wevalue serenity. Not being drawn into the currents of distraction takes

conscious effort. Although integrating awareness into a busy, materialisticlifestyle can certainly yield wonderful results in terms of stress reduction,harmonious relationships and even greater enjoyment of lifes pleasures, itis unrealistic to think that this will one day lead to enlightenment.

Liberation, as the Buddha defined it, entails a fundamental change inhow we relate to the physical and mental aspects of our experience. TheDhamma practice leading to this liberation requires not merely a technique

but a supportive way of life, a significant deceleration of the hectic pace thatthese days is considered normal. If enlightenment is what we are interestedin, we are going to have to slow down and simplify. Rather than trying tochange the Buddhas teaching to fit our lifestyle, we should try to changeour lifestyle to fit the Buddhas teaching.

It has often been observed that we of the current generation, generallyhighly educated and full of information, living in fast-paced and complex

societies, raised with media stimulation and nourished with sensoryoverload, are losing touch with serenity. Most of us are out of balance onthe side of a samatha deficiency. The analytical sides of our minds areusually well developed due to our cultural up-bringing, but without thefocused energy of sustained samdhi the insights dont have much powerto transform our lives.

Whatever Buddhist tradition we follow, all meditators are ultimately

aiming at the same thing: liberating insight that awakens, arising from anuninterrupted awareness of the changing flow of phenomena with none ofthe five hindrances present. The question is: is this possible without jhna?

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stimulation and our hearts are preoccupied with the search for it, jhnacannot happen. Look inwards for real and reliable happiness.

Success in meditation also requires consistent practice and diligenttraining. How often do we meditate? For how long? We have to be willingto invest energy and time without looking for non-existent shortcuts. Jhnais most often experienced in retreat situations, where it is quiet, there are aminimum of external concerns, people are keeping silence, a teacher isencouraging them and they are meditating many hours a day. So in additionto a steady daily practice, periodically offering ourselves the gift of ameditation retreat can make a profound difference in calming a turbulentmind.

Once we have taken the steps to live virtuously and composed and aremeditating daily, we will probably begin to experience the happiness of acalm mind. An obstacle that might arise at this point is the fear ofattachment to that happiness. As we have already discussed, such worriesare unfounded. The fear of attachment to the pleasure of samdhi willactually prevent a person from entering jhna, denying them the pure joypraised by the Buddha and his great disciples. It is vital to willinglyembrace the pleasure of peace and allow it to grow. The Buddha described

jhnas as,

The bliss of renunciation, the bliss of seclusion, the bliss of peace, the blissof enlightenment. I say of this kind of pleasure that i t should be pursued,that i t should be developed, that i t should be cultivated, that i t should not befeared.

MN 66.21

With such positive encouragement to cultivate the pleasure ofmeditation, it is hard to justify the view that jhnas should be feared oravoided. It is crucial that we allow the heart time to rest and give ourselvespermission to enjoy spiritual delight without feeling guilty. If we are used tosuffering, or if on some level we feel we need to punish ourselves, we maythink we dont deserve to be that happy. We all deserve it.

Worried about attachment to jhnas? The worst that can happen is that

we will be reborn in a heavenly realm for up to 84 thousand eons of celestialbliss. Considering the range of possible rebirths within samsara thats stillnot a bad option. The best that can happen is that we realize enlightenment.

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Virtue and states of samdhi are like rungs of a ladder. We have to holdonto higher and higher rungs in order to pull ourselves up. If we havealready heard the wisdom teachings of the Buddha and are sincere aboutliberating the heart, then reaching the top of the ladder should be within ourability. As we go up, the attachment to the lower rungs is relinquished. Butwe have to first hold on firmly to each rung. If we let go too soon, we fall.

As the heart becomes increasingly peaceful it can feel as if we areentering uncharted territory. Fear of the unknown can sometimes be anobstacle. Having faith and trust in the Buddha can help to give us theconfidence needed to forge ahead. Sometimes the mind will create innervisions, exciting light shows or unusual sensations. No matter howfascinating, frightening or funny they are, they are distractions from the

meditation and should be ignored. If anything very strange occurs and weare unsure if we are proceeding correctly, then we can simply stop for thetime being or go back to amore familiar level of meditation. When we laterhave the opportunity we can consult with a qualified teacher. At times thefear of losing control may arise. At subtle levels, attempting to control themeditation becomes an obstacle and must be let go of. The desire to controlwith attraction and aversion is a basic source of self-identity, and letting goof this control may result in fear of losing who we think we are. This notion

of being in control is pure delusion in the first place. Relaxing the will tocontrol and getting our selves out of the way will lighten the heart andallow the process of meditation to deepen.

Having the right attitude is also essential for success in meditation.Although it is necessary to motivate ourselves to meditate, samdhi will notarise from ego-based craving for altered states of consciousness or for therepetition of previously experienced peaceful states. This craving will

actually increase stress. There is too much desire and sense of self. Thequickest way to make progress in meditation is to be perfectly content,putting energy into being mindful in the present moment, and not hoping foror expecting anything.

Allow nature to take its course. Pushing too hard, being impatient forquick results or trying to force specific experiences will becounterproductive. We can be grateful for whatever degree of serenity is

experienced. We will not always have the occasion to live in peacefulsurroundings, be in good health or have the environmental conditionsfavorable for developing samdhi. We can see these times as valuable

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opportunities to grow in tolerance and acceptance. In cultivating the rightattitude it is good to remember that all the great Buddhist Mastersencourage us to develop meditation not in order to achieve status, praise orfame, but in order to be humble, kind and wise.

When the heart begins to settle down into samdhi, it is important toallow it to be still for as long as possible. It is not recommended tointentionally pull the heart out of a state of calm in order to do vipassan.When the momentum of mental energy that holds the heart still begins towane, thoughts will gradually form. At this point we should consciouslyturn our attention towards investigation.

We then analyze our bodies, minds and external phenomena as

dependent on causes and conditions, impermanent, un-fulfilling and non-self. This is how to make the most efficient use of the power of samdhi.Contemplation at this time has the potential to cut deeply at the roots of theminds defilements. If we do not engage the mind in this way afterexperiencing samdhi, we will continue to feel peaceful and happy for awhile. There will be some clarity and increased understanding due to theabsence of the five hindrances, but when the peace eventually wears off, thedefilements will once again appear with much the same strength as they had

previously. When the heart is given the opportunity to fully rest in samathaand is then activated to probe life, vipassan happens naturally.

Ideally, serenity and insight assist each other from the very beginningof Dhamma practice to the end. We need to have some wisdom in order tosit down and meditate in the first place. We then discover a measure of calmthat helps us see life more clearly. The clarity leads to living a wiser, morevirtuous life that offers greater serenity. The serenity then supports

contemplation. Focusing attention on the inherent defects and unreliabilityof the external world leads to letting go, and as the heart increasingly looksinward for happiness, serenity deepens and more insight is awakened.Samatha and vipassan gradually get stronger, proceeding like the feet of amountaineer, until one day, one lifetime, they reach the summit ofunshakeable peace and wisdom.

Ascending the heights of meditation might very well be the most

meaningful thing we could do with our lives. But it requires patience, vastpatience. The endeavor takes devotion, solitude and the courage to face,accept and release the obstacles that originate in our own hearts. It takes

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putting in the hours. It takes the persistence not to give up when the face ofthe mountain looks so hard and cold, and the valley below smiles sosweetly. Jhna is no park bench on a casual stroll. Its a base camp at thefoot of an 8,000 meter peak, a place to gather strength for the final assault.

It is a warm and quiet refuge to temporarily shield mountaineers fromskin-cracking winds and nights that freeze water bottles solid. But its noeasy matter to establish a base camp within reach of the summit. A series ofcamps may be required to gradually gain altitude. From the initial steponwards, the expedition demands a steady gaze on the trail ahead. As thesatisfaction from the intrinsic value of the effort motivates our feet andsamdhi provides nourishment along the route, we are rewarded withincreasingly lofty views.

If it is truly the peak of freedom that is held within sight, that ischerished and repeatedly reaffirmed as our distant aspiration, we willconsciously and automatically begin making choices in life that lead in thatdirection. Samatha and vipassan then unite in their original harmoniousrelationship on the journey to Nibbna.

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Therefore, bhikkhus, ever delighting in jhna,well concentrated,

with ardent energy in order to see the end of bir th,conquer Mara and his armies.

It 46

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AcknowledgmentsI would like to express my gratitude to Venerable Ajahn

Brahmavamso for persistantly emphasizing the importance of developing

samdhi, to Venerable Ajahn Jayasaro for his invaluable editorial advice,and to Michal Snasel and Miss Jermjai Pornpibul for their practicalassistance.

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For a more in-depth and comprehensive examination of samatha and

vipassansee:

The Path of Serenity and Insight, Bhante Gunaratana

The Basic Method of Meditation, Ajahn Brahmavamso

TheJhnas, Ajahn Brahmavamso

How Buddhism Began, Chapter IV, Richard Gombrich

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Ajahn Chandako is a Buddhist monk in

the Thai Forest Tradition. Born in 1962, in

Minneapolis, USA, his interest in the

teachings of the Buddha grew as he

studied towards a Bachelor of Arts degreein comparative religion at Carleton

College (1984). After graduation his

initial training in meditation was in the

Zen tradition. Later, in Asia, he completed

a total of six months of vipassanretreats and then began looking for a wayto devote his life fully to the Dhamma. In 1990 he received higher

ordination as a bhikkhu in the lineage of Ajahn Chah in North-east

Thailand. For the first five years of monastic life his main monastery wasThe International Forest Monastery, Wat Pah Nanachat, established by

Ajahn Chah for English-speaking monastics. Ajahn Chandako later spent

many years training with forest meditation masters throughout Thailand.

More recently he has taught and practiced in the United States, Europe and

Australia. He is currently the abbot of Vimutti Buddhist Monastery near

Auckland, New Zealand.

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Vimutti Buddhist MonasteryP.O. Box 7

Bombay

New Zealand

www.vimutti.org.nz
http://www.vimutti.org.nz/

a honed and heavy axe

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