Here, I would like to talk about consciousness in act of mediation Forty ‘Aramana in Samathana Kammathana 40' for those wishing to be born in Brahma and Deva worlds and for those who wish to practice meditation in Kasina 10 (10 Objects of Meditation); Asubha 10 (10 Impurity); Anusati 10 (10 Constant Mindfulness); Appamanna 4 (4 Unbounded Sates); Arupajhana 4 (4 Absorption of Formless Spheres); Dhatu Thana 1 (1 Natural Sate); Aharepayikulasanya 1.
These are the forty methods of consciousness in act of meditation, which must be studied from an experienced Guru so that the right method would be selected for personal practice (Aramana).
Once the right method has been selected for an individual and this method must be followed and observed as a Kammathana. Anapana Sati means breath in/out. Once understood and the breathing becomes steady, sit down, cross your legs (right leg on top left leg), right hand on top left hand. Sit at your ease, but be sure that you open your eyes so as to avoid being sleepy. Body must be straight. Keep practicing by focusing on your regular breathing, When breath in/out you must be fully aware that how far does your breath go when breathing in/out and what reaction do you get from such a breathing within your body.
Keep practicing until you become skillful or until you manage to develop ‘Samadhi'' which is ‘Upacara Samadhi'(preliminary stage of Samadhi) where your Citta would keep going back and forward. At the end the Citta will be calm and would not go back and forward because Citta is knowledge/understanding.
When the Citta is the same Aramana with the breathing it is natural happiness where Ekatkha Dharma will rise. At this stage one would develop ‘Vitakka Dharma' initial conception of Dharma which, in turn, would raise the level of the Citta to the Aramana. Vicara Dharma (discursive thinking) would maintain the Citta to stay with the Aramana.
Pitti Dharma (delightfulness) will keep the Citta content and satisfied. Sukha Dharma (comfort) will make the mind and body happy and content. Ekatgatta Dharma (mental one pointedness) which is the real Aramana, in another world is called ‘Yogavaccara' (true meditator).
These are the characteristics of someone who has attained preliminary Jhana (meditation) and who is able to eliminate the five ‘Nivarana' obstacles which are:-
1. Vitakka will eliminate ‘Thina Nivarana' (morbid state of mind) including being hungry, sleepy and as a result, the Citta will be calm;
2. Viccara will eliminate Vicikiccha (suscepticism) Nivarana as a result, the Citta will be calm;
3. Pitti will eliminate ‘Phayabada (hatred, vengeance) Nivarana as a result the Citta will be calm;
4. Sukha will eliminate ‘Udhhacca' (restlessness) Nivarana as a result, the Citta will be calm; and
5. Ekagatta will eliminate ‘Kamasandha (sensual pleasure) Nivarana as a result the Citta will be calm.
PRELIMINARY FIVE JHANA
FOUR CATU JHANA
Pancakanaya is more suitable for people who is weak, lacking knowledge.
Catunaya is more suitable for people who are strong minded.
Anyone who wishes to study Samatha Kammathana and wishing to be born in the Bhrama world, can practice Samatha kammathana regardless of sex and age or whether they are laypersons or monks and if they can reach either the Fourth or Fifth Jhana described earlier, undoubtedly, they will be very unhappy in life. Their Citta will be calm. They will not be restless. Because of the power of Vipassana and their Dharma practice, they will be active mentally and physically whether in the Dharma or human world. This is like one of the Buddha Pali sayings ‘Cittassa Dharmasso Sadhu' which means the Citta has been trained appropriately. In other words, a person who carries out good karma is because he has trained his Citta. This is why Dharma practitioners in Buddhism take the Citta Training very seriously.
PRINCIPLES OF PARAMATTHA DHARMA
Paramattha Dharma principles in Buddhism is extremely fine and delicate. Anyone wishing to study in detail should get involved in the Vipassana Kammathana principles so as to make the Citta Empty. When our Citta is Empty, only then we can get into the Paramattha Dharma which is the way to Nibbana as demonstrated to all of us by Lord Buddha.
FIVE KHANDHO AND RUPA
On this topic, I would like to discuss in brief about The Five Khandho (category of (5) existence) and Rupa (body) so that Dharma Practitioners can appropriately apply them during their Dharma practice.
The word Five Khandho and Rupa, for Dharma practitioners who honestly and sincerely wish to be reborn in the Nibbana world, has the following characteristics:-
In Pali word, these Four Natural Elements are called Maha Bhutu Four or the Four Great Ghosts. In our body, the thickness of earth is measured to be 240,000 Ypjana (1 Yojana = 16 kilometres); Water is measured to be 480,000 Jojana; Fire is measured to be 960,000 Yojana.
The Four Great Ghosts! Why? Because they deceive all of us. They are full of tricks (maya). They make us believe that they are precious. Some times they make us believe that they are Gods or Goddesses depending on the situation. This is why we call them Maha Bhuta (Great Ghost). In actual fact, our body is the ghost as it has characters of being deceitful – not real. It is worth remembering that they are two kinds of ghosts – Inside Ghost and Outside Ghost. Inside Ghost is ours or whatever system is inside our body whereas the Outside Ghost is actual the physical form of our body. The Inside Ghost is similar to the Inside Master whom we have to look after and feed him three times per day. If the Inside Ghost is not being looked after properly, it will cause problems among family members. We are its slave days and nights. Whatever it requires we will try to please him no matter how difficult it may be. He is the Master of Rasa (favor element), Ghana (nose element), Jivha (tongue element), Sadda (sound element) and Photabba (tangible element). These are the Five Kamaguna (Five sensual pleasures). Because of them human beings suffer. That is why we can see the Rupa can be disintegrated because of its own creations/ conditions.
ABOUT KHANDHO OR ‘KONG'
The word Khandho and Kong has the same meaning. Literally ‘Kong' means a ‘pile of'. However, in our discussion, it does not mean pile of money, gold or silver.
RUPA KHNANDHO HAS 11 ‘KONGS'
These are the eleventh pile of Rupa which Dharma practitioners must attempt to understand so as to avoid being dragged into the trickery of Rupa hopelessly
The word ‘Vedana' is the process of enjoying. The enjoyment of Aramana has five characteristics:-
The word ‘Sankhara' means all ‘Sabhava Dhrama' (conditional elements) which has been created to be a human being (God or Goddess), righteousness, unwholesomeness, good or bad and all of which has been created by the so called Sankhara and not by anybody else. This is very important for Dharma practitioners to understand before start practicing Vipassana so as to avoid being stuck into what have been created by Sankhara or ‘understanding before being born'.
Loka (world) has 31 planes:-
Anupha Bhumi has 41:-
The word ‘Vinya Kandha' is the perception of all the six Aramana or the breathing in/out of Aramana whether pleasant or unpleasant. Pleasant Aramana means satisfaction or beauty, whereas on the other hand unpleasant Aramana means not happy, not satisfied or pitiful and if adding together there are 11 groups (piles of Kongs). If we add all of them together, there will be 15 groups altogether. For the Five Kandha (Khan Ha) if we lower its level there will be only 2 groups, which are Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma.
For the Rupa Khanda, when lowering its level to be Rupa Dharma as well as Sankhara and Vinya Dharma to be Nama Dharma and Rupa Dharma is the Sabhava which makes us understand. Nama Dharma is the Sabhava leading us to understand that all conditions of our body are full of Paramattha Dharma, which is Rupa Nama. This is similar to the Five Ariyabhot, Citta is Sabbhava Dharma which knows when being hungry, sleepy, or when to stand up, sit down and all of which is grouped as ‘Karmaguna' and also as its causes. When actions are taken, that is eat, sleep, sit down, stand up all of which are grouped as Nama Dharma and also as its effects.
Effects of Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma is when the sense doors (Dvara) clashes with one another, for example, your eyes clashing with a picture is Rupa Dharma. Seeing is Nama Dhama, which means Rupa Nama, which occurs in the six sense doors. When wishing to extinguish these clashing, they are all done at the six sense doors, and not anywhere else.
For example, when your eyes see a picture Nama Dharma rises. Rupa Dharma rises by way of your eyes. When hearing with your ears, Rupa Dharma rises Nama Dharma rises by way of your ears. When smelling with you nose Nama Dharma rises by way of your nose. When tasting with your tongue, Rupa Dharma. Nama Dharma rises by way of your mind. When we understand Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma, which is Paramattha Dharma, it means we learn to understand Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma, which we have to use them as Aramana of Vipassana and keep practicing.
Talking about practicing Vipassana, it can be done anywhere or any place. It is not necessary to select a place because the most important factor is the Citta. When the opportunity arises, it should be started immediately and keep practicing. However, before commencing, it is necessary to pray to Lord Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha and then start practicing Vipassana Meditation. Limit your Citta to the Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma which are Stand Up, Sit Down, Walking and Sleeping all of which we have to limit our Citta to realise that it is Rupa Dharma. It has no real body. It is not an animal or a person. It is not our body or their bodies.
We only are focussing on movements of the body and nothing else. When the sense doors are clashing, we must focus our Sati (awareness) to the hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, hot or cold, smooth or rough.
Our Sati must be maintained at all time. It is not I or you that hear or see. It is Rupa Dharma. It is Nama Dharma that is heard all of these. In conclusion, we must attempt to look within our very own body whether in the posture of sitting or standing of the Sankhara, The word ‘look' means that we use our eyes to look into what is inside our body. We must train and practice our Citta until we can catch up with present wisdom and then we will be able to clearly see Rupa Dharma and Nama Dharma.
The present reality is that nothing is permanent. It is all Dukkha. It is Anatta (non-self/soulless). It is sick and tired of. When we see it according to its reality, the Citta is indifferent. The Citta is free and then it will fade away will not rise again.
When talking about selecting Aramana of Tikka Dharma Sanganinian, which is training of the Citta, it has three characteristics:-
Of these three characteristics, Sanya nang is ‘kiccaa – duty' of remembering (Sanya) which means understanding Vijjan nang which, in turn, is the ‘Kicca- duty' of Vinya (knowing clearly) Jhan nang is the ‘kicca –duty' of wisdom. In conclusion, all of these simply means the Citta is doing two duties and each duty has three elements:-
* Whereas Mano Dvara (mind sense door) has two Aramana which are:-