  
  
  
                               PART II: 
                                          
                         THE CRAFT OF THE HEART
  
  
       When I first became aware of the conflicting views held by people 
  who practice -- and of how ill-informed they are -- I felt inspired by 
  their desire to learn the truth, but at the same time dismayed over 
  their views: right mixed with wrong, some people saying that 
  //nibbana// and the paths leading to it still exist, others 
  maintaining that //nibbana// has passed away and can no longer be 
  attained. This latter belief is a particular cause for dismay, because 
  a desire for //nibbana// is what has led us all to submit ourselves to 
  the practice of the Buddha's teachings in the first place. If we don't 
  have such a desire, we aren't likely to be especially sincere in our 
  practice; and if we aren't sincere, our practice will be in vain as 
  far as the benefits the Buddha intended for us are concerned, because 
  the Buddha's sole purpose in teaching was to liberate living beings 
  from suffering and stress. If we were to worm our way in as parasites 
  on his religion, it would run counter to his compassionate intentions 
  toward us. Each and every one of us aims for what is good, so we 
  should pay heed to whatever factors may lead to release from suffering 
  and stress. Don't let the Buddha's teaching you pass by in vain.
  
       By and large, from what I've seen of people who practice, a great 
  many of them train themselves in ways that mix right with wrong, and 
  then set themselves as teachers, instructing their pupils in line with 
  their various theories about //jhana//, concentration, //nibbana//, 
  and the stream leading to it. The lowest level are those who get so 
  caught up with their own views and opinions that their teachings can 
  become detrimental -- saying, for example, that we don't have enough 
  merit to practice, that we've been born too late for //nibbana// and 
  the paths
  leading to it, and so have to give up our practice. (Opinions of this 
  sort run the gamut from crude to middling to subtle.)
  
        But no matter what level a person may know, if he doesn't know 
  the hearts and minds of others, he'll have great difficulty in making 
  his teachings effective and beneficial. Even though he may have good 
  intentions, if he lacks knowledge of those he is teaching, progress 
  will be difficult. The Buddha, whenever he taught, knew the 
  capabilities and dispositions of his listeners, and the level of 
  teaching for which they were ripe. He then tailored his teachings to 
  suit their condition, which was why he was able to get good results. 
  Even though he had a lot of seed to sow, he planted it only where he 
  knew it would sprout. If he saw that the soil was barren or the 
  climate harsh, he wouldn't plant any seed at all. But as for us, we 
  have only a fistful of rice, and yet we cast it along a mountain spine 
  or in the belly of the sea, and so get either meager results or none 
  at all.
  
       Thus in this book, I have included teachings on every level -- 
  elementary, intermediate, and advanced -- leaving it up to the reader 
  to pick out the teachings intended for his or her own level of 
  attainment.
  
       In practicing meditation, if you direct your mind along the right 
  path, you'll see results in the immediate present. At the same time, 
  if you lead yourself astray, you'll reap harm in the immediate present 
  as well. For the most part, if meditators lack the training that comes 
  from associating with those who are truly expert and experienced, they 
  can become deluded or schizoid in a variety of ways. How so? By 
  letting themselves get carried away with the signs or visions that 
  appear to them, to the point where they lose sense of their own bodies 
  and minds. Playing around with an external //kasina// is a special 
  culprit in this regard. Those who lack sufficient training will tend 
  to hallucinate, convinced of the truth of whatever they focus on, 
  letting themselves get carried away by what they know and see until 
  they lose touch with reality, making it difficult for any sort of 
  discernment to arise. For this reason, in this guide I have taught to 
  focus exclusively on the body and mind, the important point being not 
  to fasten on or become obsessed with whatever may appear in the course 
  of your practice.
  
       There are a wide variety of meditation teachers who deviate from 
  the basic principles taught by the Buddha. Some of them, hoping for 
  gain, status, or praise, set up their own creeds with magical formulae 
  and strict observances, teaching their students to invoke the aid of 
  the Buddha. (Our Lord Buddha isn't a god of any sort who is going to 
  come to our aid. Rather, we have to develop ourselves so as to reach 
  his level.)      Some teachers invoke the five forms of rapture, or 
  else visions of this or that color or shape. If you see such and such 
  vision, you attain the first level of the path, and so on until you 
  attain the second, third, and fourth levels, and then once a year you 
  present your teacher with offerings of rice, fruit, and a pig's head. 
  (The Buddha's purpose in spreading his teachings was not that we would 
  propitiate him with offerings. He was beyond the sway of material 
  objects of any sort whatsoever.) Once the pupils of such teachers come 
  to the end of their observances, they run out of levels to attain, and 
  so can assume themselves to be Buddhas, Private Buddhas or Noble 
  Disciples, and thus they become instant Arahants. Their ears prick up, 
  their hair stands on end, and they get excited all out of proportion 
  to any basis in reality.
  
        When you study with some teachers, you have to start out with an 
  offering of five candles and incense sticks, or maybe ten, plus 
  so-and-so many flowers and so-and-so much puffed rice, on this or that 
  day of the week, at this or that time of day, depending on the 
  teacher's preferences. (If you can afford it, there's nothing really 
  wrong with this, but it means that poor people or people with little 
  free time will have trouble getting to learn how to meditate.) Once 
  you finish the ceremony, the teacher tells you to meditate //araham, 
  araham//, or //buddho, buddho//, until you get the vision he teaches 
  you to look for -- such as white, blue, red, yellow, a corpse, water, 
  fire, a person, the Buddha, a Noble Disciple, heaven, hell -- and then 
  you start making assumptions that follow the drift of the objects you 
  see. You jump to the conclusion that you've seen something special or 
  have attained //nibbana//. Sometimes the mind gathers to the point 
  where you sit still, in a daze, with no sense of self-awareness at 
  all. Or else pleasure arises and you become attached to the pleasure, 
  or stillness arises and you become attached to the stillness, or a 
  vision or a color arises and you become attached to that. (All of 
  these things are nothing more than //uggaha nimitta//).
  
       Perhaps a thought arises and you think that it's insight, and 
  then you really get carried away. You may decide that you're a 
  Stream-enterer, a Once-returner, or an Arahant, and no one in the 
  world can match you. You latch onto your views as correct in every 
  way, giving rise to pride and conceit. (All of the things mentioned 
  here, if you get attached to them, are wrong.) When this happens, 
  liberating insight won't have a chance to arise.
  
        So you have to keep digging away for decades -- and then get 
  fixated on the fact that you've been practicing a full twenty years, 
  and so won't stand for it if anyone comes along and thinks he's better 
  than you. So, out of fear that others will look down on you, you 
  become even more stubborn and proud, and that's as far as your 
  knowledge and ingenuity will get you.
  
       When it comes to actual attainment, some people of this sort 
  haven't even brought the Triple Gem into their hearts. Of course, 
  there are probably many people who know better than this. I don't mean 
  to cast aspersions on those who know.
  
       For this reason, I have drawn up this book in line with what I 
  have studied and practiced, If you see that this might be the path you 
  are looking for, give it a good look. My teacher didn't teach like the 
  examples mentioned above. He taught in line with what was readily 
  available, without requiring that you had to offer five incense sticks 
  or ten candles or a pig's head or puffed rice or flowers or whatever. 
  All he asked was that you have conviction in the Buddha and a 
  willingness to practice his teachings. If you wanted to make an 
  offering, some candles and incense as an offering to the Triple Gem 
  would do -- one candle if you had one, two if you had two; if you 
  didn't have any, you could dedicate your life instead. Then he would 
  have you repeat the formula for taking refuge in the Triple Gem as in 
  the method given in this book. His approach to teaching in this way 
  has always struck me as conducive to the practice.
  
       I have been practicing for a number of years now, and what I have 
  observed all along has led me to have a sense of pity, both for myself 
  and for my fellow human beings. If we practice along the right lines, 
  we may very likely attain the benefits we hope for quickly. We'll gain 
  knowledge that will make us marvel at the good that comes from the 
  practice of meditation, or we may even see the paths and fruitions 
  leading to //nibbana// in this present life -- because //nibbana// is 
  always present. It lacks only the people who will uncover it within 
  themselves. Some people don't know how; others know, but aren't 
  interested -- and have mistaken assumptions about it to boot: 
  thinking, for example, that //nibbana// is extinct, doesn't exist, 
  can't be attained, is beyond the powers of people in the present day; 
  saying that since we aren't Noble Disciples, how could we possibly 
  attain it. This last is especially deluded. If we were already good, 
  already Noble Disciples, what purpose would we have in going around 
  trying to attain //nibbana//?
  
       If we don't despise the Buddha's teachings, then we can all 
  practice them. But the truth of the matter is that though we worship 
  the Dhamma, we don't practice the Dhamma, which is the same as 
  despising it. If we feel well-enough situated in the present, we may 
  tell ourselves that we can wait to practice the Dhamma in our next 
  lifetime, or at least anytime by right now. Or we may take our 
  defilements as an excuse, saying that we'll have to abandon greed, 
  anger, and delusion before we can practice the Buddha's teachings. Or 
  else we take our work as an excuse, saying that we'll have to stop 
  working first. Actually, there's no reason that meditation should get 
  in the way of our work, because it's strictly an activity of the 
  heart. There's no need to dismantle our homes or abandon our 
  belongings before practicing it; and if we did throw away our 
  belongings in this way, it would probably end up causing harm.
  
       Even though it's true that we love ourselves, yet if we don't 
  work for our own benefit, if we vacillate and hesitate, loading 
  ourselves down with ballast and bricks, we make our days and nights go 
  to waste. So we should develop and perfect the factors that bring 
  about the paths and fruitions leading to //nibbana//. If you're 
  interested, then examine the procedures explained in the following 
  sections. Pick out whichever section seems to correspond to your own 
  level and abilities, and take that as your guide.
  
       As for myself, I was first attracted to the Buddha's teachings by 
  his statement that to lay claim to physical and mental phenomena as 
  our own is suffering. After considering his teaching that the body is 
  //anatta// -- not-self -- I began to be struck by a sense of dismay 
  over the nature of the body. I examined it to see in what way it was 
  not-self, and -- as far as my understanding allowed -- the Buddha's 
  teaching began to make very clear sense to me. I considered how the 
  body arises, is sustained and passes away, and I came to the 
  conclusion that:
  
       (1) it arises from //upadana// -- clinging through mistaken 
  assumptions -- which forms the essence of //kamma//.
  
       (2) It is sustained by nourishment provided by our parents; and 
  since our parents have nothing of their own with which to nourish us, 
  they have to search for food -- two-footed animals, four-footed 
  animals, animals in the water, and animals on land -- either buying 
  this food or else killing it on their own and then feeding it to us. 
  The animals abused in this way are bound to curse and seek revenge 
  against those who kill and eat them, just as we are possessive of our 
  belongings and seek revenge against those who rob us.
  
       Those who don't know the truth of the body take it to be the 
  self, but after considering the diseases we suffer in our eyes, nose, 
  mouth, and throughout the various parts of the body, I concluded that 
  we've probably been cursed by the animals we've eaten, because all of 
  these parts come from the food we've made of their bodies. And so our 
  body, cursed in this way, suffers pain with no recourse for begging 
  mercy. Thus, victim to the spirits of these animals, we suffer pains 
  in the eyes, pains in the ears, pains in the nose and mouth and 
  throughout the body, until in the end we have to relinquish the whole 
  thing so they can eat it all up. Even while we're still living, some 
  of them -- like mosquitoes and sandflies -- come and try to take it by 
  force. If we don't let go of our attachments to the body, we're bound 
  to suffer for many lives to come. This is one reason why I felt 
  attracted to the Buddha's teachings on not-self.
  
       (3) The body passes away from being denied nourishment. The fact 
  that this happens to us is without a doubt a result of our past 
  actions. We've probably been harsh with other living beings, denying 
  them food to the point where they've had to part with the bodies they 
  feel such affection for. When the results of such actions bear fruit, 
  our bodies will have to break up and disband in the same way.
  
       Considering things in this manner caused me to feel even more 
  attracted to the practical methods recommended by the Buddha for 
  seeing not-self and letting go of our clinging assumptions so that we 
  no longer have to be possessive of the treasures claimed by ignorant 
  and fixated animals. If we persist in holding onto the body as our 
  own, it's the same as cheating others of their belongings, turning 
  them into our own flesh and blood and then, forgetting where these 
  things came from, latching onto them as our very own. When this 
  happens, we're like a child who, born in one family and then taken and 
  raised in another family with a different language, is sure to forget 
  his original language and family name. If someone comes along and 
  calls him by his original name, he most likely won't stand for it, 
  because of his ignorance of his own origins. So it is with the body: 
  Once it has grown, we latch onto it, assuming it to be the self. We 
  forget its origins and so become drugged, addicted to physical and 
  mental phenomena, enduring pain for countless lifetimes.
  
       These thoughts are what led me to start practicing the teachings 
  of the Buddha so as to liberate myself from this mass of suffering and 
  stress.
  
       Thus those of us who are still undeveloped and at a tender age 
  should practice the Dhamma in line with the strength of their 
  understanding.
  
       If there is anything defective or incomplete in what I have 
  written, or if there are any passages that don't rest well on your 
  ears, please make corrections in line with the aims of the Blessed 
  One, the Lord Buddha.
                                          
                                          
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                     HOW TO PRACTICE CONCENTRATION
  
       The first step is to kneel down with your hands palm-to-palm in 
  front of your heart and sincerely pay respect to the Triple Gem, 
  saying as follows:
  
       ARAHAM  SAMMA-SAMBUDDHO BHAGAVA
       BUDDHAM  BHAGAVANTAM  ABHIVADEMI (bow down)
       SVAKKHATO  BHAGAVATA  DHAMMO
       DHAMMAM  NAMASSAMI (bow down)
       SUPATIPANNO  BHAGAVATO  SAVAKA-SANGHO
       SANGHAM  NAMAMI (bow down)
  
  Then showing respect with your thoughts, words and deed, pay homage to 
  the Buddha:
  
     NAMO  TASSA  BHAGAVATO  ARAHATO  SAMMA-SAMBUDDHASSA (three times)
  
  And then take refuge in the Triple Gem:
  
       BUDDHAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
       DHAMMAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
       SANGHAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
       DUTIYAMPI  BUDDHAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
       DUTIYAMPI  DHAMMAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
       DUTIYAMPI  SANGHAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
       TATIYAMPI  BUDDHAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
       TATIYAMPI  DHAMMAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
       TATIYAMPI  SANGHAM  SARANAM  GACCHAMI
  
  Make the following resolution: "I take refuge in the Buddha, the Pure 
  One, completely free from defilement; and in his Dhamma -- doctrine, 
  practice and attainment; and in the Sangha, the four levels of his 
  Noble Disciples, from now until the end of my life." Then make the 
  following vow:
  
       ETENA SACCA-VAJJENA HOTU ME JAYAMANGALAM
  
  which means, "By making this vow of truth, may the good fortune of 
  victory be mine." Bow down once. This ends the step of taking refuge.
  
       The next step is to take the precepts -- five, eight, or ten -- 
  and abstain from the five, eight, or ten forms of harm. If you already 
  understand the precepts, you can formulate the intention to observe 
  them using a single vow. For those observing the five precepts:
  
       IMANI PANCA SIKKHAPADANI SAMADIYAMI (three times)
  
  For those observing the eight precepts:
  
       IMANI ATTHA SIKKHAPADANI SAMADIYAMI (three times
  
  For those observing the ten precepts:
  
       IMANI DASA SIKKHAPADANI SAMADIYAMI (three times)
  
  For those observing the  227 precepts:
  
       PARISUDDHO AHAM BHANTE PARISUDDHOTI
       MAM BUDDHO DHAMMO SANGHO DHARETU
  
  If you know what is forbidden by the precepts, you can take them on 
  your own and then go ahead and abandon any form of behavior that runs 
  counter to the five, eight, ten or 227 precepts you've taken. Once 
  you've examined your precepts to see that they're pure, examine your 
  heart. Once you see that it has entered the sphere of virtue and the 
  Triple Gem, you should recollect the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, 
  and Sangha -- both mentally and out loud -- so as to nurture a sense 
  of conviction in the heart.
  
       //The Recollection of the Virtues of the Buddha//: Repeat
  the following passage from the Canon, at the same time nurturing a 
  sense of conviction:
  
       ITIPI  SO  BHAGAVA  ARAHAM  SAMMA-SAMBUDDHO,
       VIJJA-CARANA-SAMPANNO  SUGATO  LOKAVIDU,
       ANUTTARO  PURISA-DAMMA-SARATHI
       SATTHA  DEVA-MANUSSANAM  BUDDHO  BHAGAVATI
  
  (He is indeed the Blessed One, worthy and rightly self-awakened, 
  consummate in knowledge and conduct, one who has gone the good way, 
  knower of cosmos, the unexcelled trainer of those who can be taught, 
  teacher of human and divine beings, awakened, blessed.)
  
       Then showing respect with body, speech and mind, pay homage to 
  the virtues of the Buddha, saying, "I now ask to pay homage through 
  practice to the three virtues of the Buddha: discernment, purity, and 
  compassion. I ask to pay homage through practice in thought, word, and 
  deed, without being negligent, as far as my presence of mind and 
  abilities will allow, now and in the time to come. May the virtues of 
  the Buddha appear in my life and heart: BUDDHAM JIVITAM YAVA NIBBANAM 
  SARANAM GACCHAMI -- I go to the Buddha as life and refuge until 
  reaching //nibbana//."  (bow down).
  
     //The Recollection of the Virtues of the Dhamma//: Repeat the 
  following passage from the Canon, at the same time nurturing a sense 
  of conviction:
  
       SVAKKHATO  BHAGAVATA  DHAMMO, SANDITTHIKO  AKALIKO  
        EHIPASSIKO, OPANAYIKO  PACCATTAM  VEDITABBO  VINNUHITI
  
  (The Dhamma well-expounded by the Blessed One is visible here and now, 
  timeless, inviting all to come and see, leading inward, to be seen by 
  the wise for themselves.)
  
       Then showing respect with body, speech, and mind, pay homage to 
  the virtues of the Dhamma, saying, "I now ask to pay homage through 
  practice to the virtues of the three forms of the Dhamma: doctrine, 
  practice, and the attainment that appeared in the Buddha. I ask to pay 
  homage through practice in thought, word and deed, without being 
  negligent, as far as my presence of mind and abilities will allow, now 
  and in the time to come. May the virtues of the Dhamma appear in my 
  life and heart:  DHAMMAM JIVITAM YAVA NIBBANAM SARANAM GACCHAMI  -- I 
  go to the Dhamma as life and refuge until reaching //nibbana//."  (bow 
  down).
  
       //The Recollection of the Virtues of the Sangha//: Repeat the 
  following passage from the Canon, at the same time nurturing a sense 
  of conviction:
  
       SUPATIPANNO  BHAGAVATO  SAVAKA-SANGHO,
       UJU-PATIPANNO  BHAGAVATO  SAVAKA-SANGHO,
       NAYA-PATIPANNO  BHAGAVATO  SAVAKA-SANGHO,
       SAMICI-PATIPANNO  BHAGAVATO  SAVAKA-SANGHO,
       YADIDAM  CATTARI  PURISA-YUGANI  ATTHA
       PURISA-PUGGALA,  ESA  BHAGAVATO  SAVAKA-SANGHO,
       AHUNEYYO  PAHUNEYYO  DAKKHINEYYO      ANJALI-KARANIYO,
       ANUTTARAM  PUNNAKKHETTAM       LOKASSATI
  
  (The community of the Blessed One's disciples who have practiced 
  well... who have practiced uprightly...who have practiced 
  methodically...who have practiced masterfully -- the four pairs, the 
  eight types of Noble Ones: That is the community of the Blessed One's 
  disciples, worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of 
  offerings, worthy of heartfelt respect, the incomparable field of 
  merit for the world.)
  
       "I now ask to pay homage through practice to the virtues of the 
  Sangha -- eight when counted individually, four when counted in pairs 
  -- in whomever they have arisen. I ask to pay homage through practice 
  in thought, word and deed, without being negligent, as far as my 
  presence of mind and abilities will allow, now and in the time to 
  come. May the virtues of the Sangha appear in my life and heart: 
  SANGHAM JIVITAM YAVA NIBBANAM SARANAM GACCHAMI  --  I go to the Sangha 
  as life and refuge until reaching //nibbana//."  (bow down).
  
       Now sit down, place your hands palm-to-palm in front of your 
  heart, steady your thoughts, and develop the four Sublime Attitudes: 
  good will, compassion, appreciation, and equanimity. To spread these 
  thoughts to all living beings without distinction is called the 
  immeasurable Sublime Attitude. A short Pali formula, for those who 
  have trouble memorizing, is:
  
       "METTA -- thoughts of good will"
       "KARUNA -- thoughts of compassion"
       "MUDITA -- thought of appreciation"
       "UPEKKHA -- thoughts of equanimity"
  
       This finished, sit in a half-lotus position, right leg on top of 
  the left, with your hands placed palm-up on your lap, right hand on 
  top of the left. Keep your body straight and your mind on the task 
  before you. Raise your hands in respect, palm-to-palm in front of the 
  heart, and think of the qualities of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha: 
  BUDDHO ME NATHO, DHAMMO ME NATHO, SANGHO ME NATHO (The Buddha, Dhamma, 
  and Sangha are my mainstay).  Then repeat, BUDDHO BUDDHO, DHAMMO 
  DHAMMO, SANGHO SANGHO. Return your hands to your lap and repeat one 
  word -- BUDDHO -- over and over in your mind, at the same time making 
  yourself conscious of your in-and-out breath.
  
       This is the beginning step in practicing concentration. If you're 
  steady and persistent, the desired results will appear in your heart. 
  For people who are really intent, even just this is enough to start 
  seeing results. But by and large, most meditators want to know the 
  results before they've assembled the causes. Yet even if you know 
  about the results in this way, they're nothing more than concepts or 
  names, and so there's nothing extraordinary about them. So at this 
  point I've given just the preliminary steps. Discussions have been 
  saved for the following sections. If they were included in this 
  section, beginners would be overwhelmed and wouldn't be able to pick 
  out what they needed. Thus people who are intent on practicing should 
  make a note of just this much to begin with. Then if anything arises 
  in the course of your practice, you can refer to the discussions given 
  below.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                   ON TAKING REFUGE IN THE TRIPLE GEM
  
  
       The Triple Gem is a potent refuge for those who have firm faith 
  in it and make it arise in their thoughts, words and deeds -- i.e., 
  for those who make the virtues of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha 
  actually appear in their hearts. Most people at present take refuge 
  only in the shadow of the Buddha, by worshipping a Buddha image. The 
  Dhamma they take refuge in is simply the thought of the scriptures, 
  with hardly any notion of practicing to the point of attainment. The 
  Sangha they take refuge in is simply the sight of shaven heads and 
  yellow robes. If this is the extent of our refuge, it won't be able to 
  protect us from falling into the realms of deprivation. Thus those who 
  really believe in the Triple Gem should make its qualities reach their 
  hearts if their faith is to be firm and not blind.
  
       Most people at present tend to overlook the virtues of the Triple 
  Gem because their ears are pricked for the latest news of amulets and 
  protective charms. At the drop of a hat, they forget the Triple Gem, 
  their eyes light up, their hair stands on end, and they get all 
  excited like the rabbit who went running around because he thought the 
  sky was falling.
  
       Those who have firm and proper faith in the Triple Gem, though, 
  will truly be able to ward off the dangers that cause them worry and 
  dread. In terms of the future, those who have brought the qualities of 
  the Triple Gem firmly into their hearts will have a superior refuge 
  that will absolutely insure them against rebirth in any of the four 
  realms of deprivation, as stated in the verse from the Mahasamaya 
  Sutta that reads: "Those who have reached the refuge of the Buddha (in 
  the virtues of their hearts) will not go to the realms of deprivation 
  (i.e., rebirth as a denizen of hell, as a hungry shade, a demon, or a 
  common animal). When they have abandoned the human body, they will 
  fill the ranks of the gods."
  
       If we are truly convinced of the Triple Gem, we shouldn't give 
  credence to external objects that we assume to be sacred without any 
  basis in reason. If we close our eyes and simply follow the crowd, we 
  could very well make our inner refuge corrode away. Our hearts will 
  have no principles to serve as a firm foundation and so will be prey 
  to doubts and distraction, easily deceived and led astray.
  
       Those who depend on the Triple Gem as their refuge will be gentle 
  in word and deed. Their thoughts will refer to their refuge as a 
  constant theme, at the same time pondering the truth of their 
  condition: "We are born because of our acts, live because of our acts, 
  die because of our acts. If we do good we will meet with good; if we 
  do evil, we will meet with evil. No one else can come and provide for 
  our fate." When we develop this theme constantly, convinced of its 
  truth, it is as if we were repeating an invincible protective spell. 
  This qualifies as one kind of foundation which Buddhism provides for 
  the heart.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
               ON THE FOUR IMMEASURABLE SUBLIME ATTITUDES
  
  
       //Metta//: Develop thoughts of love and good will, hoping
  for your own happiness and that of others. This is like a fortress 
  wall or a cardinal point.
  
       //Karuna//: Develop thoughts of compassion toward yourself and 
  others, aiming at helping yourself and others gain release from all 
  forms of suffering and pain. This is another wall or cardinal point.
  
       //Mudita//: Develop thoughts of appreciation, taking delight in 
  the happiness you experience and in that experienced by others. This 
  is another fortress wall or cardinal point.
  
       //Upekkha//: Develop equanimity, keeping your mind unruffled when 
  your activities or those of others go astray or lead to trouble in 
  ways that are beyond your power to help. Keep watch over your mind to 
  prevent it from being upset or affected in any way. This doesn't mean 
  being cold or hard-hearted. If you can be of help, you should offer 
  what help you can. Develop indifference only in those cases that are 
  beyond help.
  
       For these Sublime Attitudes to be fully developed, they must 
  pervade your thoughts, words, and deeds. Only then will they be 
  effective. Good will expressed in your deeds is like a wall one league 
  thick; good will expressed in your words is still another league; good 
  will expressed in your thoughts is still another league: altogether, 
  three leagues thick. With compassion another three leagues, 
  appreciation another three, and equanimity still another, you have a 
  wall twelve leagues thick. When your thoughts, words, and deeds are 
  protected on all sides in this manner, what do you have to fear?
  
       This, of course, is simply an analogy. If you actually develop 
  these qualities within yourself, you will see for yourself exactly how 
  valuable they are. When your heart is free from fear, it will be able 
  to reach concentration quickly and easily.
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                   ON RADIATING THE SUBLIME ATTITUDES
  
       If you want to, you can radiate thoughts of good will, etc., in 
  extended form, either in Pali or in translation. Your thoughts should 
  be directed in two directions: inwardly and outwardly.
  
       //Inwardly//: Radiating good will, compassion, and appreciation 
  to yourself means to do no evil, to take pity on yourself by 
  abandoning evil, and to be appreciative of the aims of virtue and 
  morality. To develop equanimity towards yourself means to be unruffled 
  when the occasion calls for it. For instance, when you are ill and 
  have done all you can to treat the illness, you should then limit your 
  attention to the goodness in the heart.
  
       //Outwardly//: To radiate thoughts of good will, etc., to others 
  can be done in two ways: (a) radiating such thoughts specifically to 
  those you know and love -- your parents, teachers, relatives, and 
  close friends; and (b) radiating such thoughts in general to all 
  living beings of all kinds, without specifying anyone in particular: 
  seeing that we are all alike in having bodies and minds and in feeling 
  pain, and so radiating thoughts of good will throughout the three 
  realms -- the sensual realm, the realm of form, and the realm of 
  formlessness --  without making distinctions or drawing lines. To 
  radiate good will in this way is very powerful and gives the mind 
  enormous strength.
  
       The extended formula, in Pali and in translation, is as follows:
       AHAM SUKHITO HOMI  (May I be happy.)
       NIDDUKKHO HOMI  (May I be free from stress and pain.)
       AVERO HOMI  (May I be free from animosity.)
       ABYAPAJJHO HOMI (May I free from oppression.)
       ANIGHO HOMI (May I be free from trouble.)
       SUKHI ATTANAM PARIHARAMI (May I look after myself with ease.)
  
  Once you feel complete good will toward yourself, you should share 
  these feelings, spreading them to all others in general:
  
                               (METTA)
  
       SABBE  SATTA  SUKHITA  HONTU (May all living beings be happy).
       SABBE  SATTA  AVERA  HONTU (May all living beings be free from
            animosity.)
       SABBE  SATTA  ABYAPAJJHA  HONTU (May all living beings be free
            from oppression.)
       SABBE  SATTA  ANIGHA  HONTU (May all living beings be free
            from trouble.)
       SABBE  SATTA  SUKHI  ATTANAM  PARIHARANTU (May all living
            beings look after themselves with ease.)
  
  
                              (KARUNA)
  
       SABBE  SATTA  SABBA-DUKKHA  PAMUNCANTU
            (May all living beings be freed from all suffering.)
  
  
                              (MUDITA)
  
       SABBE  SATTA  LADDHA-SAMPATTITO  MA  VIGACCHANTU
            (May all living beings not be deprived of the good fortune 
            they have attained.)
  
  
                              (UPEKKHA)
  
       SABBE  SATTA  KAMMASSAKA  KAMMA-DAYADA  KAMMA-YONI
       KAMMA-BANDHU  KAMMA-PATISARANA
         (All living beings are owners of their actions, are heirs to 
          their actions, born of their actions, related through their 
          actions, and live dependent on their actions. )
  
       YAM KAMMAM KARISSANTI KALYANAM VA PAPAKAM VA TASSA      DAYADA 
        BHAVISSANTI
         (Whatever they do, for good or for evil, to that will they 
          fall heir.)
  
       This ends the formula for radiating the four Sublime Attitudes. 
  To spread these thoughts without specifying this or that particular 
  person is called developing the quality of immeasurability 
  (//appamanna dhamma//).
  
       If you have trouble memorizing the extended formula, you can 
  reduce it to:
  
       METTA -- thoughts of good will
       KARUNA -- thoughts of compassion
       MUDITA -- thoughts of appreciation
       UPEKKHA -- thoughts of equanimity.
  
  Or if you want, you can simply express these thoughts in your own 
  words.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                ON THE REWARDS OF THE FOUR IMMEASURABLES
  
       The four immeasurable Sublime Attitudes are genuinely worth 
  developing because they are qualities that soothe the hearts of living 
  beings in general throughout the world -- our parents, relatives, 
  friends, companions, and all living beings of every sort. In addition, 
  when the Sublime Attitudes are truly present in the heart, they can 
  bring absolute respite from enmity, fear, and animosity. Thus the 
  Buddha taught his followers: "Monks, when the release of the mind 
  (from enmity, fear, and animosity) through good will is cultivated, 
  developed, practiced often, used as a vehicle (leading to the desired 
  goal), used as a foundation, nurtured unceasingly, made habitual, and 
  constantly brought to mind, eleven rewards can be expected: One sleeps 
  with ease, wakes with ease, and dreams no evil dreams. One is dear to 
  human beings, dear to non-human beings, guarded by deities, and 
  untouched by fire, poison, and weapons. One's mind is easily 
  concentrated and one's complexion bright. One dies unconfused and -- 
  if penetrating no higher -- is reborn in the Brahma worlds."
  
       When a person acts, speaks, and thinks with good will, it soothes 
  his or her own heart and is conducive to release from suffering. Those 
  who develop these qualities as a constant practice will have the power 
  to soothe the hearts of other living beings through the power of their 
  good will. Thus to develop these qualities in thought, word, and deed 
  is a genuine necessity for those who practice concentration.
  
       In some places this practice is recommended only for those who 
  are prone to anger. But as far as we are concerned here, you should 
  practice this step first no matter what your disposition. If you 
  //are// prone to anger, this practice will make it that much easier 
  for you to concentrate your mind.
  
       The four Sublime Attitudes have been compared to the four faces 
  of Brahma surveying the four directions, or to fortress walls on all 
  four sides of the heart. Whoever develops them will free the heart 
  from fear and danger.
  
       The development of the four Sublime Attitudes is especially 
  beneficial in connection with the performance of meritorious acts. You 
  should give alms with an attitude of good will, observe the precepts 
  with an attitude of good will, and practice meditation with an 
  attitude of good will. When done in this way, your activities will 
  bring powerful rewards. Thoughts of good will are like clean drops of 
  rain that fall from the sky, refreshing and nourishing the grasses and 
  trees. Such thoughts are desired by all human races. Thus if you hope 
  to develop merit, you should examine your heart at all times to see 
  whether or not it is benevolent, so that whatever merit you may 
  perform in thought, word, or deed will be truly conducive to future 
  happiness.
  
       The crucial element lies with the heart: If the heart lacks 
  benevolence, you'll have a hard time protecting your words and deeds; 
  but if the heart is truly benevolent, your words and deeds are bound 
  not to be defiled. If words and deeds are defiled, though, they won't 
  suffer the consequences of their defilement. The heart will. The heart 
  is what reaps the results of all good and evil. This being the case, 
  your next step should be to practice concentration so as to develop 
  the heart.
  
  
                                 * * * 
                                          
                                          
                                          
                                          
                      ON PRACTICING CONCENTRATION
  
       Concentration should be practiced in a systematic and orderly 
  way. The Buddha thus set down a civilized and flexible pattern of four 
  postures, in line with what he himself had practiced:  sitting 
  meditation, standing meditation, walking meditation, and meditation 
  lying down. When you practice concentration in any of these four 
  postures, you are said to acquire merit through meditation. The Pali 
  word for meditation -- //bhavana// -- literally means to develop what 
  is good and worthwhile within the heart. Meditation is a duty for all 
  Buddhists, lay as well as ordained. The wisdom and well-being arising 
  from meditation are the exclusive possession of those who do it. Those 
  of us who believe in the doctrine, its practice, and the resulting 
  attainments, should thus practice accordingly.
  
       //Sitting//: Here we will review the basic method once more: 
  Begin by formulating the intention to observe perfectly the five, 
  eight, ten, or 227 precepts, in line with your position and abilities. 
  Once you see that your virtues are pure, sit in a half-lotus position 
  with your right leg on top of your left. Hold your hands palm-to-palm 
  in front of your heart and call to mind the virtues of the Buddha, 
  Dhamma, and Sangha as your refuge. Repeat the formula for the four 
  Sublime Attitudes, then BUDDHO ME NATHO, DHAMMO ME NATHO, SANGHO ME 
  NATHO, then BUDDHO BUDDHO, DHAMMO DHAMMO, SANGHO SANGHO. Lower your 
  hands to your lap and silently repeat a single word -- BUDDHO -- in 
  conjunction with your in-and-out breath as your mind's preoccupation.
  
       Limit your attention to the body. Don't pay attention to anything 
  outside. Focus on the physical properties present in the body -- the 
  properties of earth, water, wind and fire -- and then let go of these 
  aspects, bringing your attention to the breath, co-ordinating BUDDHO 
  with its in-and-out movements. Be constantly and fully aware. Only if 
  you don't let your attention wander will you be true to the word 
  "//buddho//,"  because "//buddho//" means one who is awake, mindful 
  and alert.
  
       //Standing//: Meditate in the same way as above, simply changing 
  the posture. Stand in a way that is composed and self-possessed, 
  keeping your body erect and your mind on what you're doing. Place your 
  hands down before you, your right hand covering your left. You may 
  keep your eyes closed or leave them open, as you like. Focus your mind 
  on BUDDHO, keeping your attention restricted to the body and to your 
  sense of immediate awareness until your mind is firmly established.
  
       //Walking//: Walking meditation, termed //cankama//, is done as 
  follows: Decide on a path as long, short, broad, or narrow as you 
  like, making it level and even, with no ups or downs, so as not to 
  interfere with your walking. You can walk fast or slowly, taking short 
  steps or long, whatever is most comfortable. Hold your head on an even 
  keel, neither lowered nor tilted back, and keep your gaze on the path 
  before you. Place your hands down in front of you, as in the standing 
  posture, and meditate in the same way as in the postures already 
  mentioned.
  
       //Lying down//: Lie on your right side, your right hand pillowing 
  your head, your left arm placed straight down the side of your body. 
  Don't curl up, lie on your stomach, or lie on your back: Lie on your 
  right side. This is the posture of a noble person, brave, victorious, 
  and virtuous; not the posture of a miserable person at his wits' end. 
  Once you're in position, keep your mind on the repetition of your 
  meditation word as in the other postures.
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                          ON THE FOUR POSTURES
  
       The purpose of meditating in four postures is to provide rest and 
  relief for the body. The actual meditation exercise is always kept the 
  same. No matter what the posture, don't let go of your original theme. 
  Keep watch over your mind at all times.
  
       Beginners, though, should devote most of their time to two 
  postures: sitting and walking. Meditate in these two postures as much 
  and as often as possible, and concentration will come easily. As for 
  the other two postures, they aren't very conducive to collecting the 
  mind. When you lie down, concentration can easily turn into sleep. 
  When you stand, the mind has trouble setting snugly down. But once 
  you're skilled and find that the posture is no obstacle in reaching 
  concentration, there's nothing against your dividing your time in a 
  balanced way among all four postures. And if you can meditate with 
  every breath, so much the better.
  
       Lying on the right side is called //siha-sayasa//, the position 
  of a reclining lion. Lying on the left side is called //kama-bhogi//, 
  the position of a person intent on sensual pleasure. To lie on one's 
  stomach is called //tiracchana-sayasa//, the posture of dogs and other 
  common animals. It's also called //moha-kiriya//, an attitude 
  expressing dullness and delusion. To lie on one's back is called 
  //peta-sayasa//, the posture of hungry shades, the posture of the 
  dead, the attitude of a loser, of one who has let all his defenses 
  down. A person who falls asleep in this position tends to let his 
  mouth fall open, to breathe heavily, and to snore. Strictly speaking, 
  though, none of these postures is ruled out. You can shift around as 
  you like, to relieve feelings of weariness. But when you decide to 
  meditate in earnest, you should return to the correct posture, make 
  yourself alert and then watch over the mind to keep it firm and 
  uncompromising until it reaches concentration.
  
                                 * * * 
  
       The techniques mentioned so far can lead the mind to any of the 
  three levels of concentration: momentary, threshold, or fixed 
  penetration. Concentration is a tool for overcoming the defilements 
  termed the five hindrances (//nivarana//). The hindrances are the true 
  enemies of concentration. They keep blocking the mind, preventing it 
  from setting down and getting firmly established. When any one of them 
  arises, the mind is unable to see the truth. The fact that they act as 
  obstacles, obstructing the mind from attaining the good, is why they 
  are called the enemies of concentration.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                          THE FIVE HINDRANCES
  
       1. //Kama-chanda//: sensual desires; an attraction to sensual 
  objects. For the mind to be attracted to sensual objects, a sensual 
  state such as passion must first arise within the mind, followed by 
  longing, and then the sense of attraction for an object. In other 
  words, the mind longs for and falls for forms, sounds, smells, tastes, 
  tactile sensations, and mental notions, any of which can be either 
  wholesome or detrimental.
  
       2. //Byapada//: ill will. The mind formulates a desire for forms, 
  sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations, or mental notions, but is 
  then thwarted and so feels ill will toward whomever it finds 
  disagreeable. Thoughts of ill will are classed as a form of Wrong View 
  and thus are a hindrance.
  
       3. //Thina-middha//: torpor, drowsiness, depression, lethargy. 
  Once this overcomes the mind, it prevents the mind from doing good and 
  thus is a hindrance.
  
       4. //Uddhacca-kukkucca//: mental restlessness and anxiety. The 
  mind lets its attention stream out to take hold of external objects 
  because it doesn't know the true nature of the senses and their 
  objects or the techniques for keeping its attention established on a 
  single meditation theme. This mental state arises from sensual desire 
  in that the mind forms a desire that is then unfulfilled, and so it 
  becomes anxious and restless.
  
       5. //Vicikiccha//: uncertainty, indecision, a lack of conviction. 
  The mind has doubts about its objects, unable to decide whether they 
  are good or bad, right or wrong. Assuming right to be wrong, and wrong 
  to be right, it is unable to come to a firm decision.
  
                                 * * * 
  
       Techniques for dealing with the hindrances are as follows:
  
       1. Sensual desires can be dealt with in three ways (taking sexual 
  lust as an example):
  
       a. Examine the object of your desires until you see that it's 
  inconstant (//aniccam//), continually prey to disease (//dukkham//) -- 
  examine it until you see all the way to the fact that there's no self, 
  nothing of your's or anyone else's, to it at all (//anatta//). Even if 
  you were to gain the object of your desires, you wouldn't hold any 
  rights over it. Someday it would be sure to throw you away and leave 
  you.
  
       b. If the desire remains active, then focus on the repulsive 
  aspects of the object, the aspects that are unappealing, filthy, and 
  disgusting. See that it is full of disgusting things and is a dwelling 
  place for worms and other parasites. No matter how you try to dress up 
  the body, you can't escape from its repulsiveness for long.
  
       c. If the desire persists, then consider the true nature of the 
  body until the mind realizes that it is just a compound of physical 
  properties into which a deluded mind has strayed and taken up 
  temporary residence, like a hermit crab moving from shell to shell: 
  nothing with any truth or fidelity. Then forcibly focus the mind on a 
  single meditation object until concentration of one level or another 
  arises, and the desire will fade or disappear.
  
            2. Ill will arises or becomes active when mindfulness is 
  weak and you react unwisely or unthinkingly to whatever shows 
  resistance to the will, giving rise to anger, thoughts of revenge, and 
  ill will. When this happens, the following methods should be used to 
  allay such thoughts:
  
       a. //Metta-nimitta-uggaha//: Give rise to thoughts of 
  benevolence, either toward specific people or to all living beings in 
  general.
  
       b. //Metta-bhavananuyoga//: Be intent on developing and radiating 
  thoughts of benevolence, hoping for your own happiness and that of 
  others.
  
       c. //Kammassakata paccavekkhanata//: Consider the principle of 
  //kamma//, that all living beings are possessors of their actions and 
  will meet with good or evil according to their actions. Make yourself 
  see that ill will is a bad action and, since it's bad, who wants it?
  
       d. //Patisankhana-bahulata//: Be increasingly circumspect and 
  astute in applying and using these various techniques.
  
       e. //Kalyana-mittata//: Associate with virtuous people who are 
  kind and considerate.
  
       f. //Sappaya-katha//: Be careful to speak and think only of those 
  topics --such as the development of benevolence -- that are congenial 
  and useful to yourself and to those around you.
  
       g. //Sacca-dama//: Make the resolution that you will keep your 
  attention focused on your own faults -- in thought, word, and deed -- 
  and not on the faults of others. Keep your attention right at the 
  heart, with the realization that ill will arises at the heart and so 
  will have to be cured at the heart.
  
       Each of these seven techniques can work very well in shaking off 
  thoughts of ill will.
  
  
       3. Torpor and lethargy can be overcome in the following ways:
  
       a. //Atibhojana-nimittakata//: Don't eat heavily.
  
       b. //Iriyapatha-samparivatta-gahata//: Maintain a proper balance 
  among your postures of sitting, standing, walking, and lying down.
  
       c. //Alokasanna-manasikara//: Create in your mind an image of 
  bright light appearing right before you.
  
       d. //Abbhokasa-vasa//: Look for a place to stay out in the open 
  air or in the forest, away from human habitation.
  
       e. //Kalyana-mittata//: Associate with well-behaved friends in 
  the holy life who aren't given over to lethargy or drowsiness. If you 
  can associate with someone who has attained //jhana//, so much the 
  better.
  
       f. //Sappaya-katha//: Think and speak only of congenial topics -- 
  making the resolution, for instance, to observe the ascetic practices 
  and perform other similar acts of good.
  
       Torpor and lethargy can be overcome absolutely, once and for all, 
  only by a person who has attained the path to Arahantship, but we have 
  to start overcoming them step by step right from the beginning of our 
  practice, using the above methods.
  
  
       4. Restlessness and anxiety can be dealt with using the following 
  methods:
  
       a. //Bahussuta//: Make a habit of reading books and listening to 
  others talk about the practice.
  
       b. //Paripucchata//: Make a habit of asking questions about what 
  you have learned and experienced, and then put the answers into 
  practice.
  
       c. //Vinaya-pakatannuta//: Be knowledgeable and scrupulous 
  concerning the precepts and practices you have undertaken.
  
       d. //Vuddha-sevita//: Associate with those who are mature in 
  their virtue and circumspect in their knowledge and behavior.
  
       e. //Kalyana-mittata//: Associate with friends you admire.
  
       f. //Sappaya-katha//: Speak of matters that put your mind to 
  rest, e.g., of what is right and wrong.
  
       Restlessness and anxiety are abandoned once and for all only with 
  the attainment of the path to Arahantship, but we have to start 
  overcoming them step by step right from the start.
  
  
       5. Uncertainty can be dealt with using the following methods:
  
       a. //Bahussuta//: Make yourself well-read and well-informed
  concerning the practice.
  
       b. //Paripucchata//: Make a habit of asking questions of those 
  who are experienced.
  
       c. //Vinaya-pakatannuta//: be expert with regard to the precepts 
  and practices you have undertaken.
  
       d. //Adhimokkha-bahulata: Work on increasing your enthusiasm for 
  what is good.
  
       e. //Kalyana-mittata//: Associate with good people
  
       f. //Sappaya-katha//: Speak only of topics that will allay your 
  uncertainty. For instance, discuss the virtues of the Triple Gem. 
  (Uncertainty concerning the Triple Gem is abandoned once and for all 
  with the first attainment of the stream to //nibbana//.)
  
                                 * * * 
  
       What all this comes down to is that the five hindrances all 
  disappear when you focus on the body to the point where it becomes 
  clear, and focus on the mind to the point where it becomes firm and 
  resolute -- because the hindrances arise right at the body and mind, 
  and where they arise is where they should be dispersed.
  
       The hindrances are an intermediate level of defilement. Only when 
  the mind attains concentration to counter them are they overcome. They 
  are also called the direct enemies of concentration. The indirect 
  enemies are the five forms of rapture (//piti//), the meditation 
  syllable, and visions -- both those that arise on their own (//uggaha 
  nimitta//) and those that are brought under the control of the mind 
  (//patibhaga nimitta//). These phenomena, if you are wise to them, can 
  foster the paths and fruitions leading to //nibbana//. But if you 
  aren't wise to them, you're bound to get wrapped up in them, and they 
  will then turn into enemies of right concentration and discernment.
  
       These are the intermediate enemies of concentration. The subtle 
  enemies are the ten corruptions of insight (//vipassanupakkilesa//). 
  If, when any of these arise, your powers of reference and discernment 
  are weak, you are bound to misconstrue them.  You then let yourself 
  get taken in and carried away by them, to the point where they seem 
  unassailable in one way or another, finally leading you to believe 
  that you have become an Arahant. If you aren't wise to these things, 
  you're bound to fall for them and won't be able to attain the highest 
  form of good. For this reason, you should let go of all such knowledge 
  in line with its true nature. Keep your powers of circumspection in 
  firm place. Don't let these enemies come in and overcome your mind.
  
       These various enemies will be discussed below, following the 
  discussion of concentration, because they arise as phenomena following 
  on the practice of concentration. Actually though, they're already 
  present in the mind, but we're not aware of them until the mind is 
  made firm. Once the mind attains concentration, they are bound to 
  appear in one form or another, either as visions or as intuitions. And 
  once they appear, we tend to get all excited and pleased, because we 
  think that something new has happened. But if we understand that 
  they've been there in the mind all along, we won't get carried away by 
  them -- or feel excited, pleased, or upset -- and so they won't cause 
  our concentration to deteriorate.
  
       Before we make the mind firm in concentration, we first have to 
  learn about the meditation exercises, because they are the objects of 
  concentration. And before we learn about the exercises, we have to 
  acquaint ourselves with our own propensities, because these 
  propensities are like the factors causing a disease. The exercises are 
  like the medicine for curing the disease.
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
                                          
                          THE SIX PROPENSITIES
  
  
       1. //Raga-carita//: a propensity to desire and longing.
  
       2. //Dosa-carita//: a propensity to irritation and anger.
  
       3. //Moha-carita//: a propensity to delusion and superstition.
  
       4. //Vitakka-carita//: a propensity to excessive thought and 
  worry.
  
       5. //Saddha-carita//: a propensity to gullibility and snap 
  judgments.
  
       6. //Buddhi-carita//: a propensity to curiosity and reasoning 
  things through.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
       These six propensities are associated with different thoughts and 
  preoccupations -- and the truth of the matter is  that all of these 
  propensities exist full-blown in the heart of every person. The nature 
  of the mind, as long as it's still deluded, is to range around in 
  these areas. We differ only in that our minds tend to dwell on 
  particular preoccupations for differing amounts of time. In other 
  words, we focus more strongly on some moods and objects than on 
  others. The mind that tends to dwell on a particular preoccupation 
  often or for long periods of time is said to have a propensity in that 
  direction. Observe yourself when you meditate, and you'll immediately 
  see for yourself. Sometimes the mind gives rise to desire, sometimes 
  it's quick-tempered, sometimes it can't think things through, 
  sometimes its worries get out of hand, sometimes it's gullible and 
  easily taken in, sometimes its curiosity gets all out of bounds. This 
  being the case, all six propensities come down to one single mind -- 
  which, however, takes after differing preoccupations.
  
       This is why different meditators gain Awakening at differing 
  speeds. Their basic propensities differ, so that some awaken quickly, 
  some slowly, and others in between. In this connection, the six 
  propensities come down to three.
  
       1. People who tend towards anger or curiosity are said to excel 
  through discernment (//pannadhika//). Their minds tend to develop 
  insight meditation more than tranquillity meditation, and they gain 
  Awakening quickly. If they reach the stream to //nibbana//, they 
  attain the level of //ekabijin//, destined to be reborn only once 
  more.
  
       2. People who tend towards desire or gullibility are said to 
  excel through conviction (//saddhadhika//). Their minds tend to 
  develop insight meditation and tranquillity meditation in equal 
  measure, and they gain Awakening at moderate speed. If they reach the 
  stream to //nibbana//, they attain the level of //kolankola//, 
  destined to be reborn three or four times more.
  
       3. People who tend toward worry and delusion are said to excel 
  through persistence (//viriyadhika//). Their minds have to develop a 
  great deal of tranquillity  before they can develop insight 
  meditation. They gain Awakening slowly, but tend to have a lot of 
  special psychic powers and skills. If they reach the stream, they will 
  be reborn seven more times.
  
       People of different propensities gain Awakening at different 
  rates because they differ in the speed with which they can extract 
  their minds from sensuality. Those who awaken quickly have already 
  developed the quality of renunciation (//nekkhamma//) to a high 
  degree; those who awaken at a moderate rate have developed it to a 
  moderate degree; and those who awaken slowly, to a lower degree. (Here 
  we are referring to those on the level of stream entry.) They have 
  practiced in different ways, or at differing levels of persistence.
  
       But no matter how many propensities there are, the mind is one 
  and has only two basic sorts of preoccupation: good and bad. This 
  being the case, we should classify the meditation exercises into two 
  basic sorts as well, so as to help the mind attain concentration. No 
  matter what propensities differing minds may have, they are all suited 
  to two basic themes.
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                      THE TWO THEMES OF MEDITATION
  
  
       1. //Samatha-kammatthana//: tranquillity meditation -- techniques 
  for stilling the mind;
  
       2. //Vipassana-kammatthana//: insight meditation -- techniques 
  for developing discernment.
  
       The objects of tranquillity meditation, according to the authors 
  of the various commentaries, number up to forty. But although they are 
  many, they all fall into one of two classes --
  
       a. //Rupa-kammatthana//: exercises dealing with physical 
  phenomena;
  
       b. //Arupa-kammatthana//: exercises dealing with non-physical 
  phenomena.
  
       "Physical phenomena" refers primarily to those phenomena that 
  appear in one's own body and in the bodies of others, i.e., the four 
  basic properties of earth, water, fire, and wind, which taken together 
  make up the physical body. Anything, though, that appears to the eye 
  is made up of these four properties, and so belongs in this class as 
  well. "Non-physical phenomena" refers to those things that are sensed 
  via the heart and do not appear to the eye, i.e., the four types of 
  mental events (//nama-dhamma//): //vedana// -- the experiencing of 
  feelings and moods, pleasant, painful or indifferent; //sanna// -- the 
  act of labeling or identifying forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile 
  sensations, good and evil; //sankhara// -- mental fashioning, the 
  forming of thoughts that are good, bad or indifferent; //vinnana// -- 
  cognizance of what appears to the senses of sight, hearing, smell, 
  taste, touch, and ideation.
  
       So, simply speaking, we have (a) the body and (b) the mind, or -- 
  as they are called in Pali -- form and name (//rupa-dhamma//, 
  //nama-dhamma//).
  
                                *  *  *
  
  
  
                   METHODS FOR ATTAINING TRANQUILLITY
  
  
       Use the body as a theme for attaining tranquillity as follows: 
  Focus on the properties of earth, water, fire, and wind that appear in 
  the body. Don't let your thoughts wander outside. Focus exclusively on 
  your own body and mind, fixing your attention first on five examples 
  of the earth property: //kesa// -- hair of the head; //loma// -- hair 
  of the body; //nakha// -- nails; //danta// -- teeth; //taco// -- skin, 
  which wraps up the body and bones. Scrutinize these five parts until 
  you see that they are unattractive, filthy, and repulsive, with regard 
  either to where they come from, where they are, their color, their 
  shape, or their smell.
  
       If after focusing your thoughts in this way your mind doesn't 
  become still, go on to scrutinize five examples of the water property: 
  //pittam// -- gall, bitter and green; //semham// -- phlegm, which 
  prevents the smell of digesting food from rising to the mouth; 
  //pubbo// -- pus, decayed and decomposing, which comes from wounds; 
  //lohitam// -- blood and lymph, which permeate throughout the body; 
  //sedo// -- sweat, which is exuded whenever the body is heated. 
  Scrutinize these things until you see that -- with regard to origin, 
  location, color, smell and the above-mentioned aspects -- they are 
  enough to make your skin crawl. Focus on them until you're convinced 
  that that's how they really are, and the mind should settle down and 
  be still.
  
       If it doesn't, go on to examine four aspects of the fire 
  property: the heat that keeps the body warm; the heat that inflames 
  the body, making it feverish and restless; the heat that digests food, 
  distilling the nutritive essence so as to send it throughout the body 
  (of the food we eat, one part is burned away by the fires of 
  digestion, one part becomes refuse, one part feeds our parasites, and 
  the remaining part nourishes the body); the heat that ages the body 
  and wastes it away. Consider these four aspects of the fire property 
  until you see their three inherent characteristics, i.e., that they 
  are inconstant (//aniccam//), stressful (//dukkham//) and not-self 
  (//anatta//).
  
       If the mind doesn't settle down, go on to consider the wind 
  property: the up-going breath sensations, the down-going breath 
  sensations, the breath sensations in the stomach, the breath 
  sensations in the intestines, the breath sensations flowing throughout 
  the entire body, and the in-and-out breath. Examine the wind property 
  from the viewpoint of any one of its three inherent characteristics, 
  as inconstant, stressful or not-self. If the mind still doesn't 
  develop a sense of dispassion and detachment, gather all four 
  properties -- earth, water, fire, and wind -- into a single point and 
  make that the object of your mental exercise.
  
       All of the physical phenomena mentioned here should be examined 
  in a way that makes the heart dispassionate and detached. Make 
  yourself see these phenomena as disgusting and repulsive, or as 
  inconstant, stressful, and not-self, not "me" or "them". When you see 
  things in this way to the point where the mind settles down and 
  becomes firmly concentrated, this is called the development of 
  tranquillity (//samatha bhavana//).
  
       All of the techniques mentioned here are for making the mind firm 
  and still, and for strengthening your powers of reference. When you 
  examine the aspects of the body in this way, you should refrain from 
  repeating your meditation word. Only when the mind becomes malleable 
  and calm should you focus on the most important aspect of the body -- 
  the in-and-out breath -- together with the word "buddho," so as to 
  make the mind concentrated in a single place. Or, if you are more 
  skilled at another meditation theme, focus on whatever is most 
  convenient for you -- but don't focus on any object outside the body, 
  and keep watch over the mind so that it doesn't drag any outside 
  matters in. Even if thoughts do arise, don't go latching onto their 
  contents. If they're thoughts that won't aid in calming the mind, 
  suppress them -- and even once they're suppressed, you have to keep up 
  your guard.
  
       As for the four physical properties, when you've perceived any 
  one of them clearly, you've perceived them all, because they all share 
  the same inherent characteristics.
  
       Once you see that the mind has firmly settled down, you can stop 
  your mental repetition and then fix your attention on the real 
  culprit: The mind itself. When you fix your attention on the mind, 
  keep everything focused down on your present awareness. Whatever 
  arises, consider its three inherent characteristics -- inconstancy, 
  stress, and "not-selfness" -- until the mind becomes detached and 
  reverts to its conditioning factor (//bhavanga//), i.e., the 
  underlying preoccupation with which the mind identifies and that 
  determines its basic level, which in this case is either the level of 
  sensuality or the level of form. (See `On the Levels of the Mind', 
  below.)
  
       This is experienced in a variety of ways, either suddenly or 
  gradually. The mind may enter this state for only a moment and then 
  retreat, or else may stay there for a while. It may or may not be 
  aware of what's happening. If your powers of reference are weak, your 
  mind will lose its bearings. If a vision arises, you may latch onto 
  it. You may lose all sense of where you are and what you're meditating 
  on. If this happens, your concentration becomes //moha samadhi//, 
  //miccha samadhi//, or //miccha vimutti// -- i.e., deluded 
  concentration, wrong concentration, or wrong release. So when your 
  tranquillity of mind reaches this level, you should be especially 
  careful to keep your presence of mind always strong. Don't lose track 
  of your body and mind.
  
       By and large, when the mind reaches this level, it's apt to lose 
  its bearings and perceive visions. Perhaps we may decide beforehand 
  that we want to see a vision, and so when the desired vision arises we 
  feel pleased, latch onto it, and drift along after it. If this 
  happens, we miss out on the level of concentration that's truly 
  resolute, strong, and discerning -- simply because a vision got in the 
  way, preventing insight from arising. So for this reason, you should 
  let go of your visions and make the mind firmly set, not letting it be 
  swayed by anything at all.
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
               MENTAL PHENOMENA AS A THEME OF MEDITATION
  
  
       Anything not visible to the eye but experienced as a sensation of 
  the mind is termed non-physical (//arupa//). To use these sensations 
  as a basis for tranquillity meditation, we must first divide them into 
  types, i.e., //vedana// -- the experiencing of feelings or moods, like 
  and dislikes; //sanna// -- labels, names, mental allusions;, 
  //sankhara// -- mental fashionings; and //vinnana// -- cognizance.
  
       Once you understand what these terms refer to, focus on the 
  feelings that appear in your own heart and mind. In other words, 
  observe the mental states that experience moods and feelings, to see 
  at which moments there are feelings of pleasure, pain, or 
  indifference. Be aware that, "Right now I'm experiencing pleasure," 
  "Right now I'm experiencing pain," "Right now I'm experiencing a 
  feeling that's neither pleasure nor pain." Be constantly aware of 
  these three alternatives (the feeling that's neither pleasure nor pain 
  doesn't last for very long). If you're really composed and observant, 
  you'll come to see that all three of these feelings are, without 
  exception, fleeting, stressful, and not-self; neither long nor 
  lasting, always shifting and changing out of necessity: sometimes 
  pleasure, sometimes a little, never satisfying your wants or desires. 
  Once you see this, let go of them. Don't fasten onto them. Fix your 
  mind on a single preoccupation.
  
       If your mind still isn't firm, though, consider mental labels 
  next. What, at the moment, are your thoughts alluding to: things past, 
  present, or future? Good or bad? Keep your awareness right with the 
  body and mind. If you happen to be labeling or alluding to a feeling 
  of pleasure, be aware of the pleasure. If pain, be aware of the pain. 
  Focus on whatever you are labeling in the present, to see which will 
  disappear first: your awareness or the act of labeling. Before long, 
  you'll see that the act of labeling is fleeting, stressful, and 
  not-self. When you see this, let go of labels and allusions. Don't 
  latch onto them. Fix your mind on a single preoccupation.
  
       If your mind still isn't firm, go on to consider mental 
  fashionings: What issues are your thoughts forming at the moment: past 
  or future? Are your thoughts running in a good direction or bad? About 
  issues outside the body and mind, or inside? Leading to peace of mind 
  or to restlessness? Make yourself constantly self-aware, and once 
  you're aware of the act of mental fashioning, you'll see that all 
  thinking is fleeting, stressful, and not-self. Focus your thoughts 
  down on the body and mind, and then let go of all aspects of thinking, 
  fixing your attention on a single preoccupation.
  
       If the mind still doesn't settle down, though, consider 
  cognizance next: What, at the moment, are you cognizant of -- things 
  within or without? Past, present, or future? Good or bad? Worthwhile 
  or worthless? Make yourself constantly self-aware. Once your powers of 
  reference and presence of mind are constant, you'll see immediately 
  that all acts of cognizance are fleeting, stressful, and not-self. Fix 
  your attention simply on awareness itself, without getting involved in 
  any other preoccupations. Make that awareness firm and unwavering, and 
  the mind will experience stillness and peace: That's what's meant by 
  tranquillity. Then focus on examining the absolute present, being 
  aware of the body and mind. Whatever appears in the body, focus on it. 
  Whatever appears in the mind, focus on just what appears. Keep your 
  attention fixed until the mind becomes firm, steady, and still in a 
  single preoccupation -- either as momentary concentration, threshold 
  concentration, or fixed penetration.
  
       These three levels of concentration are the results of the 
  exercises you have done. Sometimes concentration arises from 
  considering the body, sometimes from considering feelings, mental 
  labels, mental fashionings, or cognizance. It all depends on which 
  theme causes you to develop a sense of dispassion and detachment.
  
       All the techniques listed here are simply for you to choose from. 
  Whichever method seems most suited to you is the one you should take. 
  There's no need to practice them all.
  
       The two basic themes for tranquillity meditation mentioned above 
  -- physical phenomena and mental phenomena -- are also called the five 
  aggregates (//khandha//). Even though the five aggregates cover a wide 
  variety of phenomena, they all come down to the body and mind. You 
  have to keep your attention firmly established on the body so as to 
  know its nature, and firmly established at the mind until you know 
  your own mind thoroughly. If you don't bring things together in this 
  way, you won't know the taste of concentration and discernment. Just 
  like food: If you don't bring it together to your mouth and stomach, 
  you won't know its taste or gain any nourishment from it at all.
  
       Once you've gained concentration -- no matter what the level -- 
  the important point is to be continually observant of your own mind. 
  Be constantly mindful and continually self-aware. When you can 
  maintain self-awareness on the level of momentary or threshold 
  concentration and can keep track of these two levels so as to keep 
  them going, they will gain strength and turn into fixed penetration, 
  the level of concentration that's resolute, strong, and endowed with 
  clear discernment.
  
       When your discernment is developed, you will see how this one 
  mind can take on birth in various levels of being, knowing that, `Now 
  the mind is on the sensual level -- now on the level of form -- now on 
  the formless level.'
                                          
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                       ON THE LEVELS OF THE MIND
  
       1. A mind whose underlying preoccupation is coupled with sadness 
  or pain is bound for rebirth in the four realms of deprivation.
  
       2. A mind whose underlying preoccupation is coupled with a low 
  level of pleasure and happiness is bound for rebirth on the human 
  level.
  
       3. A mind whose underlying preoccupation is coupled with a 
  stronger level of pleasure and happiness is bound for rebirth in the 
  heavenly realms.
  
       4. A mind whose underlying preoccupation is coupled with the 
  level of pleasure and happiness that arises from concentration -- 
  i.e., the strong sense of rapture that arises from //jhana// -- is 
  bound for rebirth in the Brahma worlds on the level of form.
  
       5. A mind whose underlying preoccupation is coupled with a subtle 
  level of equanimity, with no form appearing as the sign or focal point 
  of concentration, is bound for rebirth in the Brahma worlds on the 
  formless level.
  
       Thus the differing levels of tranquillity can lead to different 
  results.
  
       All of this refers to the aspects of the mind that arise, decay, 
  and disappear. These aspects are brought about through the power of 
  two levels of concentration.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                      TWO LEVELS OF CONCENTRATION
  
  
       1. Momentary concentration: the act of the mind's growing still 
  for a moment, like a person walking along: One foot takes a step while 
  the other foot stops still for a moment before taking the next step.
  
       2. Threshold concentration: the act of the mind's settling down 
  deeper than that, like a person who is walking along, meets with 
  something, and stops to look for a moment -- with neither foot taking 
  a step -- before he resumes walking.
  
       These two types of concentration are not without their dangers or 
  enemies. If you're not proficient enough at them, they may deteriorate 
  -- or you may get hooked on them. The dangers that arise in the wake 
  of these types of concentration are (a) growing attached to the 
  meditation syllable, having no sense of when to stop repeating it; (b) 
  being taken in by the five forms of rapture; (c) playing around with 
  visions and signs that appear, regarding them as especially true or 
  potent.
  
       All of these phenomena, if you're wise to them, can help lead to 
  the paths and fruitions leading to //nibbana//. If you aren't wise to 
  them and become attached to them as something special, the mind is 
  sure to fall for the various forms of rapture and to start drifting 
  astray. You might start behaving under the influence of what you see 
  in your meditation or intimate to others that you have invincible 
  powers or clairvoyant abilities. All of this can destroy your 
  concentration. Your mindfulness and self-restraint will become weak 
  and you'll drift along under the influence of whatever occurs to the 
  mind -- self-indulgent, dreaming, and drifting. These phenomena thus 
  become your enemies, killing off the level of concentration that's 
  resolute and endowed with the discernment capable of seeing through 
  all three levels of being.
  
       This is why the above phenomena are termed enemies. When we begin 
  meditating, though, we have to start out by clinging to these very 
  same enemies. But in clinging to them, don't be complacent, because 
  they're only a path. Ordinarily, when we walk along a path, we don't 
  have to pull it up and carry it along behind us. We just leave it 
  where it is. In the same way, the meditation syllable, rapture, and 
  visions are things we have to pass through, but not that we have to 
  latch onto -- thinking, for instance, that we've already reached the 
  goal.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                       ON THE MEDITATION SYLLABLE
  
       The meditation syllable used as a preliminary basis for 
  concentration -- //buddho//, //araham// or whatever -- is something 
  that eventually should be let go of. Once you see that the mind is 
  firm, mindful and ready to investigate, stop the repetition and fix 
  your attention solely on the awareness of the knowing mind.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                       THE FIVE FORMS OF RAPTURE
  
       1. Minor rapture (//khuddaka piti//): Your hair stands on end, 
  and tears come to your eyes, either with or without your being aware 
  of the fact. This happens, not through a sense of sadness, but through 
  a feeling of pleasure, fullness, and satisfaction in a wholesome 
  object.
  
       2. Momentary rapture (//khanika piti//): A shiver runs through 
  the body, and a feeling of satisfaction appears for a flash in the 
  heart, like a flash of lightning or the flicker of lightning bugs.
  
       3. Recurrent rapture (//okkantika piti//): A stronger sense of 
  thrill comes over the body, like waves washing over a shore.
  
       4. Transporting rapture (//ubbega piti//): A sense of 
  transporting joy comes welling up through the body to the point where 
  you lose control and start acting or speaking in various ways. For 
  instance, sitting in concentration, you may suddenly raise your hands 
  in adoration or bow down. If the feeling grows really strong, you may 
  not be conscious of what you're doing. You may start speaking, the 
  words coming out on their own without any forethought on your part.
  
       5. Pervading rapture (//pharana piti//): A flush or tingling 
  sensation spreads through and permeates the body. Sometimes the body 
  itself appears to grow and swell, or else to become very small.
  
       When any one of these forms of rapture arises, you should keep 
  your powers of reference firm. Don't give in to the feeling and don't 
  let it take over. Keep your mind unaffected. Don't lose your sense of 
  your body and mind. Keep your words and actions firmly under control. 
  Don't act under the influence of the feeling. If the sense of rapture 
  comes in a gentle form, well and good; but if it comes in a strong 
  form, and you give in to its power, you can easily get hooked and 
  start jumping to false conclusions. Don't go assuming that you've 
  gained this or reached that, because all of these feelings are 
  inconstant, stressful, and not-self. If you get fixated on them, the 
  mind won't be able to attain proper concentration of any worth or 
  value. If you fall for them, they'll become enemies of your 
  concentration and discernment.
  
  
                                 * * * 
  
  
  
  
                          TWO KINDS OF VISION
  
  
       1. Acquired images (//uggaha nimitta//): Sometimes when the mind 
  settles down, a vision of one sort or another may appear -- a lump or 
  a cloud of black, red, or white, etc.; a vision of one's own body or 
  of a person acting in one way or another; a vision of the Buddha or of 
  one of the Noble Disciples, or of heaven or hell -- there's no end to 
  what may appear. In short, when we sit with our eyes closed 
  meditating, whatever images arise in the mind are classed as acquired 
  images. If we see a good one, we tend to assume that it's a sign that 
  we've attained a good level, and so we fasten onto it. If we see an 
  unpleasant one, we tend to become fearful or upset.
  
       So we should make ourselves wise to the fact that there is no 
  truth to these visions. They're simply illusions, deceiving the heart. 
  They come under the laws of all that is inconstant, stressful, and 
  not-self. Their nature is to arise and then pass away. To latch onto 
  them and take them seriously is a form of defilement and attachment, 
  called //nimittupadana//, clinging to signs. So if a vision arises, 
  you should leave it alone. Keep conscious of your own body and mind.
  
       Actually, these visions don't come from anywhere other than your 
  own heart. To fall for them is like being duped by your own 
  reflection. Just as when a bird is eating food and we show it its 
  reflection in a mirror, it'll open its beak -- out of greed or envy -- 
  and try to steal the food in its reflection's beak, dropping the food 
  in its own beak, so it is with acquired images: If we latch onto them 
  and take them seriously, right concentration and discernment will drop 
  from our grasp.
  
       This being the case, we should leave these visions alone. If we 
  start making assumptions based on them, they will turn into a form of 
  attachment and so become our enemies. If an ugly or frightening image 
  arises, we may get unnerved. So no matter what sort of image arises, 
  don't get involved in it. Remind yourself that there's nothing 
  constant or dependable about it, that it's simply a camp-follower of 
  defilement, attachment, and unawareness. Visions of this sort have 
  also been termed //kilesa-mara//, the demons of defilement, tempting 
  the mind to become fixated on their contents.
  
       The important point is not to bring them into the mind, because 
  our purpose in meditating is to train the mind to be pure. We're not 
  trying to "get" anything at all. Focus on the body and mind, know your 
  own body and mind, until you know that you're free from defilement, 
  suffering and stress: Once you truly know this, you've reached what 
  you're here to know. Everything else, you should let pass. Don't 
  fasten or dwell on it.
  
       2. Divided images (//patibhaga nimitta//): This means that you 
  separate the image from the mind and the mind from the image so as to 
  see the true nature of the image as inconstant, stressful, and 
  not-self. If you can't separate things in this way and instead get 
  caught up in playing along with the vision, your mind will go astray 
  from right concentration.
  
       If you really want to know the mind, you have to get the mind out 
  of the vision and the vision out of the mind. And before you can do 
  this, you have to consider the vision from the standpoint of its three 
  inherent characteristics, as inconstant, stressful, and not-self. For 
  instance, the various visions that appear can be small, large, broad, 
  narrow, bright, murky, near or far. This shows that they're 
  inconstant. So separate the mind from them. The mind will then be 
  freed from them, and you should then return your attention exclusively 
  to the body and mind as before. As your powers of mindfulness become 
  firmer and stronger, mindfulness will turn into fixed penetration. And 
  when fixed penetration acquires enough power, you will be ready for 
  the exercises of insight meditation.
  
       Not everyone experiences visions of this sort. Some people have a 
  lot of them; others never have any at all, or at most only rarely, 
  because they're things that are inconstant and undependable. If the 
  power of your tranquillity is strong, there tend to be a lot of them. 
  If the power of your insight is strong, they most likely won't appear. 
  At any rate, the important point is that if you're constantly aware of 
  your body and mind, you're on the right track. If you can be aware to 
  the point where you know that your mind is released from its mass of 
  defilements, so much the better.
  
       Even if you don't experience visions, concentration still has its 
  rewards. Even the lower levels of concentration -- momentary 
  concentration and threshold concentration -- are enough to provide a 
  basis for the arising insight.
  
  
                           * * * * * * * * *
