The Path to Nirodha: Why and How of Meditation

© 2012 by Irv Jacob. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 11/20/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-9085-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-9084-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012921804

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CHAPTER CONTENTS

Introduction

Part I Calm mind

Chapter One Long Breaths

Chapter Two Short Breaths

Chapter Three Breath-body

Chapter Four Guarding

Part II Pure mind

Chapter Five Recognizing Suffering and Piti

Chapter Six Recognizing Causes and Sukha

Chapter Seven Recognizing Nirodha

Chapter Eight Recognition of the Path

Chapter Nine Encouraging the Heart

Chapter Ten Encouraging and Anatta

Chapter Eleven Encouraging Cessation of Suffering

Part III Enlightened Mind

Chapter Twelve Encouraging Along the Path

Chapter Thirteen Realization of Conditioned Arising

Chapter Fourteen Realizing the Causes of Suffering

Chapter Fifteen Realization of Nirodha

Chapter Sixteen Realization—Precepts and Path

Bibliography

Appendix I Satipatthana Sutta

Appendix II Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta:Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion

Endnotes

The Turning of the Wheel: The Middle Way

Introduction

I have the sense of real, present time when I think, look out of my eyes, touch a loved-one, or smell my breakfast, etc., and of course so does everyone else, I trust. I know that others have this same sense of real time in the way I do, first because they tell me they do, and secondly it just makes sense that we are all the same in this aspect of our humanity. I accept this as an ordinary fact of life; even my cat has his own personality and is quite self-willed because he is always in the right place at the right time. But how is it that I have this sense consciousness? And we each do; is this completely random? Or arbitrary? It is an example of what in Buddhism is referred to as thusness or suchness, as we will learn. This is a sense of being present In the moment, and this is the way of our natures, or it can be said—the nature of our species.

The next inkling we might have about being human is to see meaning, precedence and purpose about our lives, because that is how we analyze other phenomena of nature and culture (i.e. buildings and relics). At some point we have all heard the expressions: That… must have happened for a reason. or, It will all work out for the best. These are often comforting thoughts in the face of tragedy or temporary misfortune, or we might come from the opposite direction, and be on a Search for Meaning, which we will discuss in chapter eight. For example, losing our job today could put us in the position of finding a really good job tomorrow, or finding success along a different path to financial recovery. These conjectures are natural enough but are no more than our tendency as humans to rely on superstitions; and our tendency to create all sorts of preliminary theories, rules and taboos is well documented in human social history (anthropology). So our inclination to create explanations (beliefs) for sequential facts is part of human nature, but this temptation isn’t necessary to our survival. What is necessary is to accept our role as a functioning member of some society and to develop our relationships and shared purposes as we go. This is why the Buddha taught that one-third part of Buddhism is to Take Refuge in the Sangha, to associate, console, encourage, learn from and share with like-minded people. As we embrace Buddhism (and the Dharma) we accept our part of being interdependent, interconnected members of humanity, rather than a law unto ourselves.

This interconnectedness is what keeps us alive, whether we realize this consciously or not. We learn as we mature, perhaps gradually we develop a kind of humility, a sense of shared mission in life as we develop our Buddhist religious practice. We do this because we learn to relieve suffering, to be happier, to help others, to be compassionate and to prevent future suffering, (this is how we’ll Take Refuge in the Buddha) and to benefit from surrendering our thoughts of uniqueness as an acknowledgment of our gift of life. We don’t dwell on the reality of our individuality so often, which is probably good because to obsess about this self-consciousness can be debilitating, instead every day we accept our shared lives and the causes of our existence for what they are, simple facts, and this enables our personalities and our intellect to take over, and to be and live at our highest potential.

This book is dedicated to showing how to tap into and develop, observe and utilize the " . . . very subtle or extraordinary level of the mind."

During the time I initially prepared this introduction, I wrote this poem:

I see Wind blowing

dancing, singing in the tree

and know about life.

I.J. Hall, Feb. 17, 2012

This is a simple confession of being present in the moment, no particular moment, but in each moment when I am reminded by my perceptions that my consciousness is alive and well.

This is not an explanation of the characteristics of the wind, it is not a story about a tree as much as a reflection back to the reader as s/he senses what is so basic about life that it too often goes without saying. There is a subtle acknowledgment here about safety, about accepting the beauty of nature, peacefulness, deductions and introspection. Gratefully I live where I can look out the window past the trees and see my little corner of the world as a safe place, and this is not trivial, and when I meditate I share this merit with everyone and know how special this simple, quiet contemplation is. I don’t need any theories or philosophizing to do this profound act of sharing and mindfulness.

It is curious that the most useful moments in meditation are when there is no connection to any ego centeredness, but rather it is during the time when we surrender to following an age old path to peace and tranquility; this comes from a sense of connectedness to the whole of humanity. Rather than thinking this is my issue, this is my mind, this is my solution, which seems such a natural reaction; we can relax in the same way that Buddhists have been doing for 2500 years. We can watch our breath the

In this book we learn why meditation is important, and that it is a journey of looking deeply, to touch our true nature and reach into our Hearts.

same way the Buddha did, we can experience Piti-jhana to identify emotional issues in our lives the same way our neighbor does (we study this beginning in Chapter Five), and we can solve our problems, aversions and inhibitions that we identify in the same way monks have been doing all along in history. The solutions, not surprisingly, are basically of the same sort for each of us. That is the message of the clever expression—that we are all part of the same nose hole society. I don’t know who said that first, but when understood, it unites us all with compassion and humility, rather than expanding our egos, which would tend to separate us from a very wholesome connection to society.

Also beginning in chapter five is a discussion or layering of the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion which in Buddhist teachings is not only presumed to be the very first teaching of the Buddha just after his enlightenment given to the five monks with whom he previously associated, but refers us to the twelve frames of reference resulting from a simple format. In order to reach Purification, which is something of a technical term, it is necessary to follow the twelve permutations of Dharma. There are many translations and the text is so arcane that it is a little difficult to parse out of it the precise intention. I accept that it explains three stages of progress in our practice: first, we recognize what is suffering or stress etc., and obtain direct knowledge of each of the Four Noble Truths. Then second: we are encouraged to develop an understanding of what is to be by self-awakening until we have full awakening in relation to each of the Four Noble Truths. Then third: we come to realize what has come to be and arise to an unbinding from attachment, craving etc., relating to each of the Four Noble Truths of our lives and in the process overcoming many of the 108 (corresponding to the number of beads on the mala, prayer necklace) defilements. (That is three topics X four truths, thus twelve permutations.) Each subsequent chapter incorporates one of the resulting twelve permutations, i.e. Chapter Eight deals with recognizing the significance of the elements of the Eight-fold Path. Hopefully this format is not intrusive to the sequence of the discussion and explanations relating to the step-by-step meditation scheme of Anapanasati which is also developed one in each of the sixteen chapters. The development of Purification begins after chapter four, after the careful explanation of the purpose of following our breaths, we learn how to have a calm mind, and presumably the reader has a good grasp and proficiency with vipassana, mindfulness meditation by that juncture.

The teaching of mindfulness that is preliminary and central to Buddhist meditation brings us back to our real sense of present time-space in a healthy way, and we rest in this energetic, clean self-consciousness as a mental state of peacefulness and aesthetic pleasure. Indeed this sense of present, momentary reality is a tool of purification that we utilize to relieve stress and torments, we utilize our sense of Direct Awareness to neutralize the emotional loads associated with unpleasant thoughts and negative social relationships. It was part of Buddha`s wisdom that he developed the techniques to co-opt and use our personal identities not only for enjoying a tranquil peace, but also for the purpose of gaining enlightenment and for arriving at the peace of nirvana. It is a positive trade-off to develop our Hearts to essentially surrender our I-ness to gain a more complete and intimate association with humanity, and a more functional and beneficial way of life. As we surrender our greed, cravings, attachments, and our need for selfishness, we become part of an enlightened culture. As we accept our role in society we gain a breadth of soul, as it were; we are greater than the singularity of the moment of our births.

As we grow and learn we develop our abilities, and hopefully receive the aid we need to fulfill our talents. Not everyone does of course, but those who can develop and expand their natural spirituality, be introspective, be skillful in pursuit of a better society, ought to fulfill their talents for the sake of all others and for their own peace of mind. These objectives are facilitated when we understand and utilize the concise explanation that comes from a Tibetan tradition¹ of how our minds are organized into 1) coarse, or ordinary content; 2) the subtle level of mindfulness—the awareness on the mind’s moment-by-moment fleeting movements, and 3) the very-subtle awareness of karmic propensities, thus we think before we act. In this third stage we can unpack our cravings and natural urges and change our lives. The chapters in this book are grouped according to these three categories of mind as a way of giving a context to the flow of the discussion about Purification. Each subject spills into the next to provide continuity. This is a kind of collecting or schema, to help focus and advance the discussion.

We often hear about the benefits of meditation from many practical perspectives, but I believe the most important benefit occurs as we learn how to develop our Hearts.² As we practice the principles of Concentration we develop our ability to reach the subtle level of our minds. As we utilize Insight meditation we exercise and reach into our Hearts and the very-subtle level of our minds. The Tibetan tradition teaches us about advance pliancy, and we learn about shifting gears and steering through our minds. This becomes an automatic mental activity, just as we may have developed competence and learned as a teenager how to drive a car. When we operate consciously inside our developed Hearts, we can satisfy and fulfill the challenges and teachings of Buddhism, i.e. which is when our egos can disappear and become irrelevant.

When we develop our minds in meditation we seek to reach past the mindfulness level, to a conceptual level that pervades our personalities with a nobility of purpose and action that reflects well, not only on ourselves, but on our teachers, parents and ancestors. The one whose victory cannot be undone,\ Whose victory does not go anywhere in the world—\ By what path will you lead him,\ The trackless Buddha of infinite range? (Dhammapada, vs. 179) This book is dedicated to showing how to tap into and develop the Buddha inside each of us, observe and utilize the capacities of the . . . very subtle or extraordinary level of the mind.

When I reread the content of each chapter, I found a way to utilize and model this skill of observation. I noticed that there were features and benefits of meditation that were identified, surprisingly more than I expected to find. I collected these for each chapter into a preview list which might help emphasize these, might motivate the reader to continue, and help the reader understand the scope of each chapter better. This was an exercise for me also, like calisthenics for my Heart. Likewise I collected the key words, usually the first time each appeared. This should help the reader do a find search of the electronic file of this book for topics that are of immediate interest. This is not intended to be pedantic, or a burden to the reader, but a useful collection of ideas as a quick summary.

Throughout the day we can evaluate our mental status as a simple kind of meditation, and when we move beyond casual-perfunctory thinking we move into the realm of Pure Mind. Each tradition of Buddhism deals with these relationships, sometimes the words are different as with the Theravada (Thailand) teaching about the organization of our minds, as a fundamental aspect of Dharma. There is the 1) calm mind (coarse or ordinary content), 2) the pure mind (subtle), and 3) the enlightened mind (very-subtle), the second and third are for sure works in progress based on our efforts of mind development.³ This is a slightly different explanation than the previous Tibetan taxonomy, but both are useful for purposes of discussion. After only a very brief introduction and orientation, a Practitioner should be able to achieve a calm mind, or know how to go there at any time, even during stressful periods.

Each Practitioner should also have a good idea what it takes to have a pure mind, although that is a more sophisticated concept, in the sense that it involves accepting a particular set of assumptions (The Precepts) and teachings (intended by this author, Wee, to refer to the twelve permutations of Purification) about how to live ethically. Developing that capacity is a continuous task; it involves applying the lessons we learn from Dharma into our actual experience of life. The Stream Enterer gets a glimpse of what it means to obtain enlightenment as each level of mind development emerges, not an occult state, but a natural, confident, very possible and capable achievement; not unlike developing the competence of an accomplished musician. That is the promise of this book, to explain and guide each Practitioner to the ultimate achievement of their optimum potential (and hey, I expect to get to that point too).

The presumption that we can obtain purification seems in a way pompous and arrogant: but Purification of our Hearts is very private. We will learn and develop this as one of the fruits of meditation.

One of the most fundamental lessons repeated by the Buddha was a description of the world based on its essential qualities or characteristics. He said that all of life, nature and material is 1) impermanent, aniccam, subject to change more or less continuously; 2) unsatisfying, dukkham, or a condition that counts for the suffering we might experience; and 3) not possessed of or influenced by an eternal soul, instead subject to numerous and unique causes, anatta. This is one of the teachings found in every tradition of Buddhism with which I have become acquainted. When we learn about reality in these terms we are able to understand how and why so many of the vagaries of our lives occur. Stating this taxonomy is easy, since it is taught in each Buddhist tradition perhaps using different words, but explaining all the implications takes a good deal of care, practice, encouragement and elaboration; the most important implications are to be unfolded in this book, some as original insights.

Even if the language of Buddhism is sometimes curious or abstract, it can convey powerful and useful meanings. The poetry of the Lotus Sutra is often inspiring and promises rewards as the teachings of an epic poem.⁴ These poetic illusions and devices are inspiring and hopeful, as they describe the possibility of success. Nirvana is functionally a grace from the natural force of our Buddha nature that pervades our own innate buddhahood, it gives worth and value to even the most unschooled and corrupt among us; it simply remains for each of us to open the flower of this virtue one pedal at a time.

Gradually we learn about and develop 1) benevolence 2) compassion 3) giving happiness and 4) impartiality—the four infinite virtues. These can become well developed mental capabilities and personality traits beyond the simple real-time consciousness we feel as a beginning point of being human. In order to achieve these Purifications, absent entering a monastery or wat, we need to develop a sincere and active practice of meditation such as that described in this book and referred to in the introduction of Satipatthana Sutta (which is also included in its entirety as Appendix I.) This ancient guided meditation follows and develops the four foundations of meditation, the body, feelings, mind and contents (or qualities) of the mind.⁵ This reads as if it were easy enough to do, but it is a full-fledged admonition directing our effort to study these four foundations of meditation also found in Anapanasati, which underlie the organization of this book.

We begin with the basics in our ordinary lives (call this Dharma): the simple natural structure of our humanity, the six senses, the six sense organs and their objects as these are described in the classic Buddhist tradition.⁶ These teachings moved from the oral tradition to the written Dharma, and come to us in numerous books and sutras. When the beginning Practitioner has given as much effort to each of the subsequent three foundations of meditation as to the first—body and senses—then they should expect to achieve some worthwhile results, but obviously we have to go the whole distance more than once to get the results we can expect to achieve—relief from suffering. Don’t start from a book or a sermon or a preaching.(Buddhadasa)

The general guide for all our effort is the teaching of the middle way. "There are these two extremes that are not to be indulged in by one who has gone forth. Which two? That which is devoted to sensual pleasure with reference to sensual objects: base, vulgar, common, ignoble, unprofitable; and that which is devoted to self-affliction: painful, ignoble, unprofitable. Avoiding both of these extremes, the middle way realized by the Tathagata—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding." (Appendix II) We are to start with meditation, the practice of watching and following our breathing, and developing our minds based on our increasing capacity for mindfulness (notwithstanding that this advice comes from a book.) Even this book will come up wanting and only points the way that we have to travel (practice) on our own. Along the way we can take notes, write in a journal and write poems as a way to track our progress, and perhaps we can have some fun too; that is not too much to ask.

PART I

CALM MIND

Chapter One

Long Breaths

Key Words:

agitation, skillful, determinant, productive mind, internal motivation, grasping, bliss, sati, Anapanasati, mindfulness, Foundations of Meditation, following, Bud-dho

Why Should I Meditate?

A productive mind is capable of meditation and developing useful insights. A calm mind is one that is fit to do this work. Single pointed clarity gives the energy to proceed with insight and contemplation of the Dharma. Using our breath in meditation is an intimate and personal activity that no one else can manipulate or influence. Accumulate experiences in meditation (and apply these) until these become a source of wisdom. Meditation develops the frame of reference to understand how each piece of the mental puzzle fits into an idiosyncratic whole. We can hope and expect to eliminate one problem at a time, developing a life free of defilements. Meditation is a journey of looking deeply, to touch our true nature [and reach into our Hearts.] We can train [our] mind to attain perfect and efficient mindfulness—ready to know the truth (Dharma). We watch the breath get refined… there’s just awareness… called meeting the Buddha… this is what bud—dho means. When we sense that mental calm and relaxation is the case—we have arrived—we’re living with the Buddha. Purification of our Hearts? We learn this as a fruit of meditation. We learn in a deeper way, through personal experience rather than through thinking, that the breath is intimately associated with the body (it is the body conditioner). We use a focus on breath as object lesson to develop a calm mind. Emotions and feelings underlay our thinking; we discover and unravel this subtle and beautiful capacity during meditation.

It might seem at first thought that a calm mind is a rather trivial state for most people of normal faculties. How hard can it be? But in point of fact, for first time meditators, having a distracted and uncomfortably active mind, full of random and wandering thoughts, is the most commonly reported result. When we stop and sit, our minds keep going as if these had a life of their own, which is precisely the case. When we ride on a bus or train and the vehicle stops, the background out the window seems to keep moving for a short time, and our minds cause this, and do the same when we begin to meditate. This stopping and sitting is an unnatural state, perhaps this relates to a primitive need to be defensive, alert and paranoid in a hostile world; a survival mechanism. Buddhists have stories about the Monkey Mind, and the difficulty of trying to train an elephant—to describe the normal state of our overactive mental functioning. The Tibetan monk Rinpoche Mingyur is one of the best meditation teachers, he suggests that our typical experience is characterized as The ordinary conditions of dullness, distraction, or agitation that confront the mind. (Mingyur) Settling into a pattern of relaxed and comfortable meditation is not counter-intuitive; on the surface it seems like a perfectly reasonable way to relax, rather, it is just counter-cerebral. It goes against the grain of our normally active, agitated mind. In the next few paragraphs we look at and expand several important lessons he gives in a very concise and succinct instruction.

The first, best strategy is to accept the thoughts we perceive even though these threaten to flood us like a swollen river, one at a time. Look at your thoughts that arise as if they were objects of interest. Mingyur says that You gain greater strength [and determination] and progress through working with these conditions… whatever they are. Most thoughts are trivial renditions, restatements of actual events, etc., or just nuisance ideas, but the odd thought might be useful and deliver some insight worth pausing for. It is neither helpful nor skillful to try to create a blank mind, and there is no shame, at least initially, in having concepts and ideas jumping around. That is an essential part of inspiration and creativity, after all. On an organized basis this is called brainstorming and can be sublimated into a problem solving technique. The best strategy is to expect to benefit from your thoughts; in fact it is skillful to use your thinking for good purposes, to examine a specific event of suffering for example. Eventually it will be possible to identify the causes and determinants of that suffering and proceed to choose a path in order to eliminate and/or prevent that suffering. Thus a calm mind is one that is fit for work, not dead but capable of contemplation and progressing toward a worthwhile goal; not a blank, silent box.

So we don’t initially have a calm mind, we begin to learn how to achieve a productive mind, capable of meditation and developing useful insights, and this is a goal worth achieving. Do we want to be more productive? And productive of what? In any or each case, developing the skill to meditate will accelerate our ability to accomplish the goals we choose or accept (as with an assigned task from our employer). Many of the verses of The Dhammapada, one of the most popular sources of inspiring poetry in the Buddhist literary heritage, are directed at encouraging the development of the mind and mental control. The mind is hard to restrain, light\ Flying where it will.\ Control of it is good.\ Mind controlled brings happiness. (Dhammapada, vs. 35) Each time we meditate our experience is going to be slightly or entirely different, and that is the good news. The devil is in the details, however, and that is what we need to accumulate, knowledge of the ten thousand teachings of Buddhism as is suggested in the Zen tradition.

Gaining this knowledge is not the same as experiencing some kind of bliss, clarity, or some other wonderful experience. In an important way we have to take our pick, because our mind can’t really accomplish anything and rest in a state of bliss at the same time. Rinpoche Mingyur suggests that we will have more motivation to meditate if we cut short our experience of bliss, etc.⁷ This may seem counter-intuitive, but coming from such an authority it is worth heeding this admonition. When I read that for the first time I was surprised and more than a little perplexed. But I learned that there is the need to meditate for the sake of meditation (that is: training our minds) and meditation to achieve a predetermined objective. Both these kinds of meditation are possible and useful for Buddhist practitioners, along with the occasional need to just be at peace and enjoy the passing of time. Even though it would seem that we would want to extend the time when we have bliss, clarity… etc. rather than stopping, there are several good reasons for doing so. Thus these peaceful experiences are not the most skillful, nor even the best results of meditation, as we will soon learn. However, this single pointed clarity can give us the energy to proceed with insight and contemplation of the Dharma, which are more valuable achievements.

The main message is to relax and not try to force too much to happen or result from the very beginning. Axiom: If we find ourselves bored, or lacking stimulation, that is when we can remind ourselves that we are most likely achieving a good mental state, ready for work. Boredom is an involuntary acknowledgment by an inexperienced meditator that our minds are running at a slower pace. In our ordinary lives, some people find that they are entertained and stimulated so much, and they have become accustomed to so much activity and depend so much on external stimulation from music, television or social chatting with friends (more on this later) that the very thought of meditation is abhorrent. I know of people who think they have to have a radio playing and talking at them in order to sleep because they