December 2006 Newsletter

Vipassana Fellowship Newsletter

December 2006 Edition

"Oh how they cling and wrangle, some who claim
Of brahmin and recluse the honoured name,
For quarrelling, each to his view, they cling.
Such folk see only one side of a thing.."
- Udana vi 4

Begin 2007 with Meditation

Vipassana Fellowship's online meditation courses have been offered since 1997 and have proven helpful to meditators in many countries around the world. The main text is based on a tried and tested format and serves as a practical introduction to samatha (tranquillity or serenity) and vipassana (insight) techniques from the Theravada tradition of Buddhism. Intended primarily for beginners, the 90 day course is also suitable for experienced meditators who wish to explore different aspects of the tradition. The emphasis is on building a sustainable and balanced meditation practice that is compatible with lay life.

The course is suitable for users of any major operating system (Windows, Apple Mac, Linux) provided they have a recent web browser that can display Flash files. The course uses our Online Course Campus which adds additional flexibility and permits greater interactivity. Participants also receive an audio supplement on CD-Rom containing guided meditations and chants to support the online material.

We shall be offering courses beginning in January, May and September 2007. The courses are led by Andrew Quernmore, an experienced meditation teacher based in England, and the first begins on Monday, January 22nd, 2007.

Registration for the January course - an excellent way to begin the New Year - is available at:

http://www.vipassana.com/course/

Applications will be accepted until the start of the course. Please note that the Audio Supplement is despatched from the UK by Airmail but late applicants will be able to work with online versions of the main audio files until the CD-Rom arrives.

Continuing Parisa Programme

If you have taken one or more of our online courses you are eligible to subscribe to our Parisa support and encouragement programme for former participants. Parisa provides ongoing access to the latest edition of the 90 day course (there are 3 of these each year), new material to aid your practice and understanding of the Dhamma in the form of monthly themed "parisa packs" and a similar level of access to personal support from Andrew as available to regular course members. This is a flexible scheme that can be joined throughout the year for as long or as short a period as you wish. It is hoped that regular contact during the three courses we run each year and added inspiration from the parisa packs will help to provide a support network for those who do not have access to a local group or who would like to further explore our tradition.

If you have already taken one of our courses, Parisa details can be found here:

http;//www.vipassana.com/parisa/

Andrew writes: The eminent Sri Lankan monk, Venerable Medagama Vajiragnana, who rendered such sterling service to Buddhism in the West passed away on December 15th, 2006 at the age of 78. Dr Vajiragnana had been head of the London Buddhist Vihara for many years and I was fortunate to study under his guidance during the late 1980s. He will be sadly missed not only by the Sinhalese Buddhist community in Britain but by all those who were touched by his wisdom and compassion. He was presented with the OBE by the Queen earlier this year for his interfaith work - the cause of mutual understanding was dear to his heart. His gentle smile and his patience and skill in teaching the dhamma will be long remembered. May he attain nibbana.

Wisdom and Meditation

by Ven. M. Vajiragnana

"From meditation arises wisdom. Without meditation wisdom wanes. Knowing this twofold path of gain and loss, let one conduct oneself that wisdom may increase." This Dhammapada stanza (282) emphatically states that meditation is indispensable in achieving wisdom which is the ultimate goal of the Buddhist way of life.

In gaining experience in practice, the meditators are guided through The Seven Stages of Purification (Sattavisuddhi). They are first described in the Rathavinita Sutta which is a dialogue between Ven. Sariputta and Ven. Punna Mantaniputta. Ven. Sariputta, the foremost disciple of the Buddha, questions his friend on the prominent features of living the holy life according to the Buddha’s teachings. One noteworthy feature of the instructions given by Ven. Punna Mantaniputta is his colourful simile of a relay of chariots. He made it clear that to advance along the Path of Purity one must follow the Seven Stages in sequence as would a king to get from one point to a distant destination by organising a relay of chariots. He would mount the first chariot at point A and energetically drive to point B. By this time he fully understands the potential of both horses and vehicles. At point B he mounts a fresh chariot to point C, and so on until he arrives at the gate of his destination. Each stage must be energetically experienced until he arrives at the goal - the Seventh Stage - Nibbana.

The first two stages are likened to the roots of a great tree. The whole of the holy life pivots upon these two. They must become an integral part of the character of the aspirant. The Purification of Virtue consists of ever-deepening stages of moral excellence. Beginning with the five basic moral laws – not to kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie and become intoxicated, through their expansion into the Eight and then Ten Precepts, they reach their refinement in the Monastic Code, the Patimokkha. In this way the necessary moral foundation is laid for the development of the Five Spiritual Faculties (Indriya) of faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and understanding.

The second stage is the Purification of the Mind by which is meant the attainment of the eight jhanas - absorptions. This is the development of Tranquillity Meditation, Samatha Bhavana, which removes the more subtle obstacles within the mind, known as the Five Hindrances. In this way, the mind is cleared of all impediments and apart from the blissful nature of such states, the meditator gains in confidence (saddha), and in energy (viriya) and concentration (samadhi). But these meditative experiences do not in themselves lead to the understanding necessary for enlightenment. They are not final accomplishments, but momentary interludes. There is, however, a second method of meditation which leads not to the suppression of these defilements but to their complete eradication. This is known as Insight Meditation (Vipassana Bhavana) and its further importance lies in the fact that it leads to spiritual enlightenment and, therefore, must now become the dominant method in the subsequent purifications. It is generally understood that a combination of these two methods - Samatha and Vipassana produces the quickest results.

At the third stage of Purification of View, the meditator begins to clarify his understanding of reality. Here the differences are discerned between the body (rupa) and the mind (nama), and their separate natures. On the one side is insentient matter and on the other sentient mind. For instance, the meditator clearly sees and knows the separation between the physical body (breathing) and the mind that knows it. This insight is important as it is the first step on the path of gnosis that will lead the meditator to the central doctrine of the Buddha’s teaching, that of Non-Self (anatta). It marks the first break from speculative views of self and leads to an appreciation of the insubstantial nature of all animate and inanimate "things".

The next stage, the Purification of Overcoming Doubt, draws the understanding to the relationship between the body and the mind - that of cause and effect. The meditator comes to realise that consciousness never arises unless there arises a particular sense faculty coupled with a sense object. One of the exercises to draw out this understanding is noting one’s intention before an act such as ‘intending to walk’ (a mental phenomenon) and walking as such (a physical phenomenon). Such an action arises dependent on the intentional thought. Whereas knowing the sensations caused at the nostrils by the passage of air in breathing is an effect, the cause of it is the physical body. This relationship of cause and effect is extended to the whole universe.

The fifth stage, the Purification of Knowledge and Vision of What is the Path and Not-Path, again changes the perspective - this time to observe the Three Characteristics of Existence (Tilakkhana) - impermanence (anicca), dissatisfaction (dukkha), insubstantiality (anatta). For instance, the meditator experiences the momentary nature of the breath. "All formations of existence ever and again arise as something new". Such insights are a delight to the meditator who now begins to experience all sorts of wonderful states brought about by the purity and concentration of the mind. However, because they all hold the danger of attachment and can easily be mistaken for true spiritual insights, they are known as the Ten Impurities (upakkilesa). Abandoning such indulgence, the meditator comes to see them as Not-Path. The way to Nibbana is not one of indulgence in pleasure, not even the most refined, ecstatic experiences.

The meditator now enters into the Insight Knowledge Stage of Purification of Knowledge and Vision of Path Progress that leads through a process of nine lesser stages to the supra-mundane experience of Nibbana. In brief they are: the knowledge consisting in Contemplation of Rise and Fall (Udayabbayanupassana). The meditator turns with added zeal and clarity to observe the three Characteristics of which transiency (anicca) becomes uppermost and there comes a more direct experience of the momentariness of all phenomena. From this point, the understanding suddenly catches more prominently the vanishing part of this momentary creation and this is the knowledge in Contemplation of Dissolution (Bhanganupassana). This experience of the continuing destruction of the world, brings the meditator face to face with the insubstantiality of life (anicca) - and indeed death.

Now the mood radically changes towards negative modes and in the next three stages the meditator experiences the terror, the danger and the horror of living in such an evanescent world. These knowledges, called the Contemplation of the Fearful (Bhayat’upatthana), of Misery (Adinavanupassana) and of Aversion (Nibbidanupassana), lead the meditator on to a great desire to escape, and great restlessness and often despair beset them. This is the stage of the Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance (Muncitukamyata). Here comes the understanding that liberation does not come with running away from suffering. Free of the desire to escape, the meditator can re-establish the quality of his Insight Meditation and reach the stage called the Knowledge in Reflecting Contemplation (patisankhanupassana), wherein the Three Characteristics of Existence are once again penetrated but more deeply; and any one of up to eighteen principal insights can be experienced. This is greatly encouraging, and renewed energy and determination arise in the meditator. This new-found mental stability and strength allow the meditator to continue to observe the Three Characteristics with calm awareness. This is the stage of Knowledge Consisting in Equanimity, delving deeper into the universal quality of emptiness (sunnata). At its maturity, the last of the lesser nine stages of Knowledge in Adaptation of Truth (Saccanulomikanana) arises naturally wherein again one of the Three Characteristics is penetrated but this time at the most profound level. This knowledge leads immediately into the supra-mundane experience and here the Seventh and Final Stage of Purification is begun.

This stage, the Purification of Knowledge and Vision (Nanadassana Visuddhi), begins with what is called a Change of Lineage Consciousness (Gotrabhunana) because the understanding takes "as object the unconditioned, the standstill of existence, the absence of becoming, cessation, nibbana". Again immediately following comes the full experience of Nibbana known as the Path and Fruit Consciousness (Maggaphalacitta). This experience is then reviewed, again immediately afterwards - called Retrospective Knowledge (paccavekkhana nana) and this finally brings to an end the whole progress of the Seven Stages of Purification.

However, this is not the end of the practice! These stages must be repeated at more and more profound depths until all four Paths and Fruits are attained. And as each Path and Fruit is attained so the Fetters (Samyojana) that bind the meditator to the wheel of existence (samsara) are broken and absolute freedom is at last achieved.

So it is that through the Seven Stages of Purification, the Sattavisuddhi, the spiritual goal of highest wisdom, nibbana, is realised.

Is wealth compatible with religious living?

by Ven. M.Vajiragnana

(Excerpts from a talk given to an Interfaith gathering organised by Birkbeck College in conjunction with the World Congress of Faiths.)

It is sometimes felt that material possessions are an obstacle to spiritual progress. For hundreds, even thousands, of years there have been examples of people from all religious faiths who have renounced the world in order to devote themselves to the spiritual life without the distractions of material possessions. This tension between material progress and spiritual progress is even more keenly felt today as many of us live in an age of unparalleled material prosperity. People living in an industrialised nation are enjoying a higher material standard than ever before, and their entire society is organised in order to maximise economic activity. Consumption is encouraged, regardless of the cost to the individual, society or the environment. The more affluent a society becomes, the greater is the attention paid to the satisfaction of sense desires.

Speaking as a Buddhist, however, I do not think it is a question of rejection of material things in order to pursue a spiritual goal; it is a matter of striking the right balance between the two - what Buddhists call the Middle Way. Certainly, spiritual progress is impossible without a certain level of material well-being. Poverty in Buddhism is not a virtue. The Buddha said, "For householders in this world, poverty is suffering." (A.III.350) and again, "Woeful in the world is poverty and debt." (A.III.352)

He also said that poverty (daliddiya) is the cause of immorality and crimes such as theft, falsehood, violence, hatred and cruelty (Cakkavattisihanada sutta). He explained that it is futile for a king to try to suppress crime by means of punishment. Instead the king should eradicate crime by improving the economic condition of his people. The Buddha said that grain and other facilities for agriculture should be provided for farmers and cultivators; capital should be provided for traders and those engaged in business, and adequate wages should be paid to those who are employed. When people are thus provided for with opportunities to earn a sufficient income, they will be contented, will have no fear or anxiety, and consequently the country will be peaceful and free of crime.

The purpose of wealth is to facilitate the development of the highest human potential. Wealth is only a means to an end, not an end itself; it creates the conditions under which spiritual progress may flourish. If the creation of wealth is regarded purely as a selfish occupation, then the results will often lead to unhappiness because this activity is self-centred, based only on ideas of "me" and "mine". We should, however, regard wealth as something to be shared with other people. If human beings could expand their love to all other people, irrespective of their class, colour or creed, rather than confining it to their own people, then they might be able to part with things without expecting anything in return, and experience more satisfaction in doing so. This satisfaction comes not from tanha, a desire to obtain things to make ourselves happy, but from chanda, a desire for the well-being of others. In decisions dealing with every sphere of economic activity, whether it is production, consumption, or the use of technology, we must learn how to distinguish between the two kinds of desire and make our choices wisely.

Bearing this in mind, there is nothing wrong with material wealth by itself and the Buddha never prescribed a ceiling on income. Even among Bhikkhus, Buddhist monks well-known for having the fewest of possessions, to be a frequent recipient of offerings was regarded as good kamma. The monk Sivali was praised by the Buddha as foremost among those "who are obtainers of offerings". Wealth as such is neither praised nor blamed, it is the way it is acquired and the way it is used which are important. Blameworthy qualities are greed, stinginess, grasping, attachment, hoarding. Acquisition is acceptable when it is used for good causes like furthering spiritual progress and helping other people. So the problem with wealth is our attitude towards it. If we devote ourselves entirely to amassing material things, neglecting moral, spiritual and intellectual well-being, then that is not skilful. Material progress should always be accompanied by moral and spiritual progress, otherwise it cannot be considered as true progress. A certain level of economic prosperity is vital for a happy, peaceful society, but this should not be an end in itself, rather it should be a base on which one should build spiritual development.

The ethical value of wealth is judged by the ways in which it is obtained, and the uses to which it is put, such as generosity or hoarding. Giving should always be done sympathetically, not exalting the giver above those who are receiving. Speaking to King Pasenadi, the Buddha said that wealth hoarded by a miser is like a forest pool, clear, cool and fresh with good approaches and a shady setting, but situated in a savage region. Because of fear of the people living there, no one can drink, bathe in or make use of the water. But a wise man uses his wealth for the benefit of his family, friends and for good works for society in general. This wealth is like a forest pool not far from a village or town, with cool, clear, fresh water, good approaches and a shady setting. People can freely drink of that water, carry it away, bathe in it, or use it as they please (S.I. 89-91). A wealthy person who uses his wealth generously is also likened to a fertile field in which rice grows abundantly for the benefit of all.

It is perfectly possible for a person to pursue a spiritual life whilst remaining involved in the material world, provided the material world is used skilfully. "Actions, knowledge, qualities, morality and an ideal life; these are the gauges of a being's purity, not wealth or name." (M.III.262) The Buddha said that for the layman there are four kinds of happiness that will not interrupt his spiritual progress (A.II.69):-

The first is the bliss of ownership (atthi sukha) of wealth which has been justly and righteously acquired through honest labour and the sweat of one's brow. It should also be accompanied by a sense of contentment with what one has. Unless one has this feeling of contentment, amassing wealth is like trying to fill a jar with no bottom. The second kind of happiness is bhoga sukha, the bliss of using or enjoying that wealth, which means spending it liberally on family, friends and charitable deeds. We should not hoard this wealth like a miser, nor should we live beyond our means and overspend extravagantly. The third kind of happiness is anana sukha, the bliss of debtlessness, being able to say "I have no debts" - which is not an easy thing to say in the modern world of credit cards, mortgages and hire purchase! This kind of happiness also means discharging fully all one?s social obligations to one?s family, friends, religion and society. The fourth kind of happiness is anavajja sukha, the bliss of blamelessness, leading a blameless life in body, speech & mind, which means we perform no actions that cause any hurt or harm to any living being. Of these four kinds of happiness, the Buddha said that the first three are not worth one sixteenth of the happiness given by the fourth, i.e. the blameless life. The Buddha was showing us here how wealth and spirituality can go hand in hand.

One of the most generous supporters of the Buddhist order was a merchant called Anathapindika. He was an immensely wealthy man, but this was not a barrier to his spiritual progress - having listened to the preaching of the Buddha, he attained what we call the first stage of sainthood (sotapanna). Anathapindika was a fine example of generosity. He did not hoard his wealth, but shared it gladly with his friends and relatives. On one occasion he visited the monastery of some Brahmin pilgrims, who recognised him as a follower of the Buddha and asked him about the Buddha's teachings. Anathapindika became involved in a discussion concerning their different views of the world. He gave them such a brilliant discourse that later when the Buddha heard about it, he said that even a monk who had lived one hundred years in the Order would not have been able to speak better to the pilgrims than Anathapindika the householder had done (A.X.93). He is in fact an excellent example of how it is possible to follow the spiritual path while remaining very much in the world. There are many other examples from our tradition of lay people who have reach an enlightened state.

The Buddhist path is a gradual path, which allows different people to progress at different speeds according to their understanding and inclinations. One of the Buddha's chief disciples, Sariputta, said that an aspirant might be living in a forest, but with his mind full of impure thoughts and defilements. Another might be living in a town, but with his mind free from defilements. Of these two aspirants, said Sariputta, the one living a pure life in the town is far greater than the one living in the forest. Certainly there is nothing against renouncing the world and living a life of voluntary poverty, but this is not an essential requirement.

For those who do wish to devote themselves more intensively to spiritual practice, there is the path of renunciation of the world. The Buddha taught that sense desire is one of the root causes of all human unhappiness. Desires which are satisfied cause attachment and grasping. Desires which are not satisfied cause frustration and further craving. In order to reduce sense desire to a minimum, the monastic life is designed to reduce material possessions to the essentials. A bhikkhu is allowed a minimum of possessions. The ideal is summarised by a psycho-physical discipline, involving acts of thought, word and deed, to lead a life of perfect purity and retirement from all worldly pursuits motivated by sense desire. The perfect pre-requisite for this is pabbajja, which means recluseship. For a monk the best qualities are contentment and few wishes, accompanied by effort and diligence in developing wholesome qualities, such as generosity, loving-kindness and wisdom, and in eradicating unwholesome qualities, such as greed, hatred and delusion, and also in working for the benefit and welfare of oneself and others. "Furthermore, monks, he is content with whatever necessities, be it robes, alms food, shelter or medicines, he obtains. Furthermore, monks, he is continually stirring up effort to eliminate bad qualities, make determined and vigorous progress in good things, and never throwing off his obligations." (D.III,226,296) Bhikkhus use the least possible amount of material goods. This is partly to avoid overtaxing the community which supports them, and partly to allow them to spend as much time as possible practising and teaching the Buddha's doctrine.

I should like to end by giving you an extensive quotation from one of our scriptures: "Wealth is neither good nor bad, just as life within the world with its sensual joys is neither good nor bad. It depends on the way the wealth is obtained and what is done with it, and in what spirit it is given away. People may acquire wealth unlawfully and spend it selfishly. Either case will not make one truly happy.

"Instead one can acquire wealth by lawful means without harming others. One can be cheerful and use the wealth without greed and lust. One can be heedful of the dangers of the attachment to wealth and share the wealth with others to perform good deeds. One can be aware that it is not wealth, nor good deeds, but liberation from craving and selfish desire that is the goal. In this way, this wealth brings joy and happiness. One holds wealth not for oneself but for all beings." (Anguttara Nikaya)

There is ample opportunity here for the wealthy layman to pursue a spiritual path which can be of great benefit, both to himself and to society in general. However, for the renunciant, the Buddha said even greater happiness is possible. "There are, monks, these two forms of happiness. What are the two? The happiness of lay-life and the happiness of renunciation. The nobler of the two forms of happiness, monks, is that of renunciation." (A.I.80)

The Vipassana Fellowship Newsletter is published about 10 times each year and is sent only on request and to previous participants of our courses. Vipassana Fellowship is an organisation dedicated to the dissemination of accurate and useful information on Buddhist meditation practices as found in the Theravada tradition. Our next mailing will be in January. Our site can be accessed via the vipassana.com and vipassana.org domains.