By Venerable Rat Rattanayano
Introduction
The mind (citta-state of consciousness), by its nature, is a form of energy. Once it arises, it lasts only as long as a snap of a finger before rapidly dissolving. It is like the spark of light that occurs when two pieces of wood are rubbed together. The mind process is a very complicated matter because the mind is composed of different elements and related to various factors. According to the mind’s specific function at any one moment energy arises together with ignorance: This gives rise to a form of force, called a cetasika1 (the mind component) that pulls and encircles the mind. Whenever the ignorant mind has contact with outside factors, this pulling force, cetasika, accumulatively encircles the mind with more and more layers. Previously accumulated cetasikas are called anusaya (latent tendencies).These anusaya provide the necessary driving force which prevent the complete dissolution of mind states and cause new forms of energy to arise as the mind continues to function.
Anusaya affect the mind in two ways:
Firstly, the force of anusaya encircles and influences the ignorant mind and so gives rise to a mind with a new cetasika. And there is another force, called tanhā which affects the ignorant mind as a result of one’s own particular desires which arise according to the accumulated anusaya within oneself. It is this is tanhā force that impels one to act so as to fulfill one’s desires. The force of tanhā acts by pulling new cetasika into a chain-like force which also accumulates in different parts of the body as āsava. So, the more one acts according to one’s own desire or tanhā, the more anusaya one creates. In turn, the more accumulated anusaya one has, the more tanhā force is within oneself.
Secondly, anusaya cultivates the ignorant mind to give rise to thoughts, feelings, emotions, and memories. The previous anusaya gives rise to new anusaya. The new anusaya accumulatively returns to the old stock of anusaya. So the old anusaya successively gives rise to new anusaya. This is an on-going phenomenon continually arising within less time than it takes to snap one’s fingers; so this process repeats itself endlessly. The ignorant mind is unable to be aware of this very subtle and spontaneously natural process.
The accumulated anusaya enclose and trick the ignorant mind to cling tightly onto the five aggregates or khandhas. These five are (1) form (ru – pa), (2) feeling (vedanā), (3) perception (sa๑๑a), (4) mental formations (sankhāra), and (5) consciousness (vi๑๑āna). The ignorant mind perceives them as real phenomenon. This illusion is called upadāna (clinging which is an intensified form of craving) and it causes the mind to attach to the five aggregates. With upadāna, the mind accepts the five aggregates as one whole unit which is then considered to be the real “I.” Thus the mind wrongfully perceives each aggregate – and their combination – as static and unchangeable phenomenon. Thus the ‘I’ really exists and it is “I” who sees, thinks, feels, imagines, has emotions, and so on. The stronger the upadāna, the greater the sense of ‘I.’ So long as one perceives the five aggregates as a whole, real static being, one will unavoidably encounter suffering or dhukka.
Vipassanā Meditation (Insight Meditation)
Vipassanā meditation enables one to see the causes of suffering after the mind first acquires a calm and tranquil base which is built upon samatha meditation. During vipassanā meditation, the mind can contemplate the mechanism of suffering in great detail. The meditator can clearly understand what the “knower” and the “known” are; and whether suffering arises from the “knower” or the “known?”
During vipassanā meditation, one can clearly comprehend the nature of mind and what santati (the illusion of continuity) is. Suffering arises and remains because the ignorant mind holds onto either the knower or the known from moment to moment. The force of Santati exists both between the mind and the knower, and the mind and the known. So, santati is the connecting force for the mind to hold onto uninterruptedly. Yet, santati also exist in-between the knower and the known. The ignorant (avijjā) mind thus falls under the influence of this santati force. Therefore, the santati force is a kind of continuity pulling force which holds, binds and connects all things together. The whole universe relies on this santati force to hold itself together. (So, within this context, tanhā (desire) is also one of a combination of natural pulling forces).
The next step to practicing vipassanā is to observe what this santati force is, and how it pulls the mind which attaches to the knower and the known. It is clear at the experiential level that the santati force has a very constant rhythm with a specific frequency. The fact is that the mind cannot easily come out of suffering because the frequency of the mind energy is lower than that of the existing pulling force within oneself. Hence, in order to free the mind from suffering, the frequency level of the mind energy must be higher than that of one’s existing pulling force.
So, the most important goal for practicing vipassanā meditation is to strengthen up the mind energy to a higher level in order to overcome the pulling force. The frequency level of the mind energy is equal to the quality of one’s mindfulness. Thus, there are various frequency levels of mind energy depending on the different qualitative level of mindfulness i.e. from gross to subtle or from weak to strong. The highest state of mindfulness is called sambojjhanga2 mindfulness (one of the seven essential qualities leading to liberation). Thus the ultimate aim for practicing vipassanā meditation is to strengthen the energy level of the mind until it reaches a level of full-cycled mindfulness3 and where its quality ultimately achieves sambojjhanga. This state can be acquired only by observing satipatthāna4.
The full-cycled mindfulness has the frequency level equal to the level of the existing santati force within oneself. In this state of mind, one is able to perceive the constant force as a wave form, or as various types of vibrations arising and passing away within one’s own body. From such perception, wisdom arises. Because of this wisdom, the mind will be clearly aware of the true characteristics of the five aggregates. Thus sights, tastes, smells, sounds, contacts, and feelings previously perceived as experienced by the real ‘I’ – and viewed as static and unchangeable forms – are now understood as merely phenomena which are constantly arising and passing away.
This phenomenon of arising and passing away is called anattā – because it is void of a permanent self and is thus uncontrollable, all such phenomena are also impermanent. But because the ignorant mind still holds and attaches to the five aggregates as a real ‘I’, a real ‘my’ and a real sense of ‘mine’. With such a mind dhukka (suffering) inevitably remains. Nevertheless, with the wisdom to realize the truth, the mind gradually detaches itself from all forms of misconceptions and misperceptions. The mind then moves away from suffering.
The more one practices vipassanā meditation, the more one strengthens the energy level of the mind. So, the stronger the energy level is, the more the mind detaches from the five aggregates of body and mind.
Once one continues meditation development until the energy level is higher than that of all naturally existing pulling forces – including the santati force - within oneself, the mind will be free from all the existing forces that formerly imprisoned it.
VIMUTTI
Liberation is the state of mind free from suffering; free from any distinction between knower and the known; and free from and all pulling forces. In this state, the mind is beyond time and matter. This is the true original state of mind. This state of mind is beyond dualism and identification. One who achieves this state for the first time is called a sotāpanna, or stream-enterer. Such a person no longer has any doubts on the essence of the Triple Gem; clearly understands the Universal Law underlying the causes and effects of all existing phenomena and conditions; and thoroughly earns insight of both the conventional (Sammuti-sacca) and ultimate truth (Paramattha-sacca).
With this state of mind, one acquires wisdom to comprehend more on the true Buddha nature. One can clearly see the essence of life and the correct path to follow. A new way to live one’s life is developed with more insight; and it becomes much easier and quicker to detach oneself from internal and external things than in former times.
However, once the state of liberation arises, it remains for a while and then moves back to the pre-liberated state of mind. Therefore, the further essential point is how to maintain this vimutti state.
Maintenance of the state of liberation
Up to this level, the aim is to continue practicing so as to develop more insight than that of the first liberation; this will enable one to comprehend higher liberation states. There is still much ignorance left in the mind, so without further practice one cannot achieve full liberation.
The next step is to develop even sharper insight so as to be able to see clearly how the state of liberation arises and passes away. Also a deeper understanding is needed and on the truth of the original state of mind which is selfless i.e. without any ‘I’, ‘my’ or ‘mine’. The illusion of selfness exists because of the influence of the energy force emitted from the previous ignorant mind; this mind was also made up from residual energy that has arisen from the interaction between external causes (sounds, sights, tastes, smell, and contact) which came in contact with the six sense doors (ears, eyes, tongue, nose, body and mind) and the internal factors of the five aggregates. This residual energy force is interchangeably called kilesa, āsava, and samyojana. Sometimes it is also called āsava kilesa. As long as one has not reached full liberation, this energy force still accumulates throughout the body.
The force emitted from āsava kilesa influences the ignorant mind to hold onto, and attach to, the santati force. Whoever has a lot of kilesa will experience a very strong vibratory force. Then the state of liberation might arise in a very limited way and last for a very short period of time. Therefore, the most important thing for maintaining the liberated state is to increasingly eliminate the left-over old kilesa and, in addition, not create any new kilesa. The less old kilesa there is remaining, the more one is further away from suffering and getting closer to complete liberation.
The technique for increasingly eliminating old āsava kilesa and to guard against accumulating new kilesa, is to observe the makka (the Holy Middle Path). This means one must continue daily living with a state of mind that is beyond dualism and comparison. This means fully understanding that there is no difference between the knower and the known; the seer and the seen; the thinker and the thought; the speaker and what is spoken; the doer and the deed; the past and the future; the speaker and the listener; the eater and the eaten; the ‘we’ and ‘they’; the ‘I’ and the ‘you’. Once one continues to maintain this state of mind for longer and longer periods – thus practicing meditation continually – then one will assuredly reach full liberation.
ัānadassana (Deep Insight)
Once one maintains the state of the makka until one is very skillful, one will become very clear and free from all forms of interactive forces for longer periods of time. During these periods of time, one experiences the moving state from full-cycled mindfulness to the incompleted state; repeatedly from very slow arising to faster and faster; from full-cycled mindfulness to the incomplete state – and all arising from moment to moment. With such a state of mind, one already achieves the very high level of mindfulness called incomplete-cycled mindfulness.5 (Sati-wen-rob).
The incomplete-cycled mindfulness arises out of the truly original state of mind. It does not arise whilst one is training their mind by observing sattipatāna. This state of mindfulness arises by itself. This truly original state of mind is free of thoughts. The mind absolutely detaches from all phenomena arising through the six sense doors and is just aware of the presence at every moment. Every contact between external and internal factors is merely perceived as phenomena that are arising and passing away. All interactions arise for only the first and last time. Nothing is left over. The mind is very steady at every moment and stays beyond all phenomena and conventional truths; also beyond all emotions, feelings, imaginations, and thoughts which are completely eliminated.
Upon this state vijjā (wisdom) of deep insight spontaneously and automatically arises free of thought. This level of insight arises according to the very true nature of the mind with no distinction between the knower and what is known. It also arises free of connection with the knowing elements of mind, of memory (sa๑๑a) and brain, and of feeling (vedanā). This kind of insight knowledge is a transcendental state of mind. Indeed, this is the highest and the most supreme transcendental knowledge.
Once this transcendental state arises, the mind is able to acknowledge all things as they truly are because this supreme knowledge eliminates all ignorance altogether. The mind is able to see with true insight the past, the future and the connection between the past, present and future. This is Paticcasamuppāda (the law of causes and effects). However, at first, one starts truly comprehending the whole of one’s own life, and then the lives of others; finally all natural things, one after another, are understood as an endlessly chain.
It can be said that, at this level, one has raised one’s state of being to a level where one acquires transcendental knowledge which will serve as a tool to guide and guard one’s life. One will know exactly how to think, speak and act at the highest and most mindful level.
Vimutti-๑ānadassana (Ultimate insight of full liberation)
Up to this state, the acquired transcendental knowledge enables one to contemplate the cause and effect of all phenomena and how things proceed endlessly and repeatedly as if there were no origin and ending point. It is all merely a continual flow of phenomena arising, prevailing and passing away: One thing after another and all depending on their causes and effects. One effect becomes a cause and induces another thing to happen – the effect. This latter effect becomes a cause and induces another further thing to occur. This timeless interplay of interdependence comes into being – like an unbroken and unending chain – because of the power of the santati force.
Eventually, all kinds of misperceptions and misconceptions will be completely eliminated. Here, the very supreme transcendental knowledge arises, called Vimutti-๑ānadassana. With this very supreme knowledge, āsava kilesa are absolutely extinguished forever. This is full liberation which is forever free of any kind of suffering.
1 Cetasika means mind component which includes both positive (e.g. intentions to do good deeds) and negative elements (e.g. all evil volitions). Anusaya are the residue of the negative elements of cetasika which give rise to three states of mind; namely desire, anger and ignorance.
2 Sambojjhanga are factors that enhance and lead the mind to enlightenment. They comprise mindfulness, investigation of Dhamma, effort, rapture, tranquility, concentration and equanimity. In order to attain liberation, the strength of each factor has to be developed to the utmost level.
3 The word ‘cycle’ here denotes the circle of the mindfulness development. It can be explained as follows: once our eyes see things, the cognizant element at the eye base immediately sends data to the knowing element of the mind. The ignorant mind that takes things en bloc begins to think, judge, feel, and react and hence construe things as ‘persons’ and ‘things.’ Such ingrained habit enables the next contact to repeat the same circle. This happens because mindfulness within the ignorant mind is too weak to be able to aware in the circle of its naturally subtle state. Therefore, the term full-cycled mindfulness describes the utmost sharpness and alertness of the mind that can rapidly observe with, at least the same speed and frequency of the movement of this circle. Such state of mindfulness can yield understanding of this phenomenon as it really is. At this state, the mind perceives only vibrations and frequencies of the energy level instead of ‘persons’ or ‘things’.
4 Satipatthāna refers to the application of mindfulness. The Buddha instructs the monk how to give attention, with increasing subtlety, to his physical body, to its dynamic qualities, and finally to his own feeling, thought processes, and thought content under the aspect of their impermanence, painfulness, and impersonality. This is to be the only way to enlightenment. It becomes a mode of direct access to the Highest Goal without encumbrance and the clear cut and effectiveness method.
5 Incomplete-cycled mindfulness denotes how the mechanism of ego construction is interrupted. For normal people, the creation of ego is completed when the ignorant mind reacts to contact of external and internal factors and perceives it as the real “I” whereas, for the successful meditator with this state of mind, there are merely contacts and movements of vibration. Therefore, the cycle is incomplete.