By Charles.S.Perera

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What is Meditation ?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is defined as a mental culture, turning oneƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s attention inwards to the mind, or contemplation. Meditation is to cultivate mental calm or quiescence,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  through concentration of the mind. A mind cleansed in preliminary concentration, could be further developed to attain dyƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na. DyƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na is a deeper state ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  concentration, which for Indian yogis is a union with the Creater -Maha Brahma.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The practice of meditation in ancientƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  India probably began after the end of the Vedic religious tradition.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The Vedic teachers brought with them samhitas the sacrificial liturgy which was primarily recitation of prayers in praise of Gods, with animal sacrifice to invoke their protection,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  guidance.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Vedic religion gave place to ritualistic Brahmanism or Hinduism. Later on theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Indian philosophers- who began to question the reason for existence of life, for which theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ritualistic religions had no answers, sought toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  enter into communion with the divinity through meditation to have access to divine knowledge to find answers to their questions.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In ancient India at the time of the Buddha there were 62 different schools of philosophy lead by well known teachers of the time such as PurƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na Kassapa, Makkhali GƒÆ’-¦ƒ”š‚sala, Ajita KƒÆ’-¾ƒ¢¢”š¬…”sakambila, Pakuddha KachchƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚yana, Niganta NƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚taputta, Sanjay Bellatthiputta, ƒÆ’-¾ƒ¢-¡‚¬lƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ra KƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚lƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ma, and Uddaka RƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚maputta.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Prince Siddhartha, asƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  an Ascetic after his great renunciationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  searching for theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  cause of sufferingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  in human existence, went to two of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  teachers ƒÆ’-¾ƒ¢-¡‚¬lƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ra KƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚lƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ma, and Uddhaka RƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚maputta. He asked them to instruct him on their philosophies. ƒÆ’-¾ƒ¢-¡‚¬lƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ra KƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚lƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ma, gave him instructions to concentrate the mind until itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  absorptions into the four level of dyƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na ( jhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na in Pali ) of the fine material sphere (rƒÆ’-¦ƒ”š‚«pavacara jhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na) ,followed by the absorptions into firstƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  two levelsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the immaterial sphere (arƒÆ’-¦ƒ”š‚«pavacara jhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na). Then fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Uddaka RƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚maputta ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ he learnt to attain the last two levels of the arƒÆ’-¦ƒ”š‚«pƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚vacara jhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na absorptions. He soon mastered the art of absorptions into the two groups of DyƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na (jhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na in Pali).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ascetic SiddharthaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s mastery of the mental absorptions may have been the maturing of his past sa.msaric habits and perfections (pƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ramita).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Mental concentration had come to him naturally without effort.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is said that during a ploughing ceremony Prince Siddhartha- the child, was left in the care of his nurses in a tent near the fields that were being ploughed.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  His father the King Suddhodana entering the tent to see his son was surprised to find the Prince in deep concentration (SamƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚dhi), seated in the lotus position of meditation.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ TheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  incessant movement is the nature of the mind. It thinks of the past, plans for the future, jumps from one object to another without settling down on any object for a moment. This unsettled state of mindƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  has been compared to many things, aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  wild buffalo, a captured wild horse, a monkey, and even a live fish thrown out of water.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  You may be comfortably seated in a chair in a room, but your mind may be away, gone beyondƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  walls, boundaries, and even shoresƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  into distant places.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Dura.n gama.m ƒÆ’-¾ƒ¢¢”š¬…”kacara.m

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ AsarƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚«ra.m guhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚saya.m

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ye citta.m samyamissanti

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ mokkhanti mƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚rabandhanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ . (Dhammapada .37 )

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ( Dwelling inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a cave, without a form, the mind wanders far and moves alone. Those who subdue this mind are liberated from the bonds of MƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ra-the deity of death).

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In that situation, it may seem almost impossible to meditate with such a dispersed, indisciplined mind. We do not normally perceive this inherent nature of the mind, as we more often act mechanically without taking time to look into the mind. Therefore, to put some order into it, the mind has to be trained to stay fixed on toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a selected object for a reasonable length of time.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  It is only then that we can bring the mind to eventually attain higher states of concentration.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Ascetic SiddhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚rta GƒÆ’-¦ƒ”š‚tama, after his training under ƒÆ’-¾ƒ¢-¡‚¬lƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ra KƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚lƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ma, and Uddhaka RƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚maputta and attaining the JhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na absorptionsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  of the material ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and immaterial spheres found that the meditation of quietude practiced by the Indian sages was limited in scope, and did not give him the key to understand suffering as an inherent phenomena of existence.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  The mind, developed into concentration, and then absorbed into deeper levels of concentration called JhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na absorptions, would be devoid of thoughts and settledƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  into absolute silence. In such a state the sense faculties are temporally suspended, and the mind does not move from its comfortable void deeply absorbed into it.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Ascetic SiddhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚rtha, understood that these Sages were limiting the inane possibilities of the mind by putting it into a position of inertia. With thisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  realisationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  it became evident to him,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  mind caged in jhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na could be released to explore its own potential. In order to accomplish this, he descended the mindƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  after the fourth rupavachara jhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na absorption gradually to its pre-samƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚dhi state.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Thereafter, the mind now calm andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  serene, was revitalised to investigate its ownƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  inner processes and related phenomena. This is the insight meditationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  (vipassanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ bhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚vanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚).ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  ThisƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  enabled the Buddha,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  to examine the inherent nature of the mind and matter, and understand that all conceptual phenomena are impermanent , unsatisfactory and without a self.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Insight Meditation thusƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  became the key to his enlightenment.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is the difference between the Hindu meditation practice, which remains within the restricted state ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  dhyƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na, and that of Buddhist meditation, which descends from dyƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚na to develop wisdom to enable an analytical investigation of phenomena.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Buddhist meditation taken as a whole is two fold, first the meditation of quietude (Samatha bhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚vanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚), andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  second, the insight meditation (vipassanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ bhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚vanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚). Therefore, one meditation cannot be practiced, without the other, and the second has to follow the first, always in that order.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Samatha bhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚vanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  is ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ taken as the first meditation session at the beginning of the day.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  Thereafter, a meditator may sit directly for insight meditation sessionsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  any number of timesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  the same day, without sitting ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  again for a session of samata bhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚vanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ .ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ This is to stopƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  attachment to samatha bhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚vanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚, which some meditarors may find more pleasant and satisfying, and continue to practice it to the exclusion of VipassanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ BhƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚vanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚-the insight meditation, orƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  more often. Buddhist Meditation is the only path to attain Nibbana. Insight meditation should therefore be the aim of a meditator.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ There is, however, a modern school of thought that supports the view,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that the insight meditation needs no priorƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  purification of the mind in the meditation of quietude, and therefore insight meditation could be practiced on its own. They call it ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- dry vipassanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and the practitioners the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-vipassanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚ yƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚nakasƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  But there is no evidence any where in the teachings of the Buddha, that supports this view.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is said that this had been ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-inventedƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to encourage the Western non-Buddhist meditatorsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  take up meditation, who would otherwise be discouraged by the initial difficulties in concentration to attain absorptions in the meditation of quietude.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ We do not contribute to this modern view, and advice those who intend toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  practice Buddhist meditation, to do a session of Meditation of Quietude (samatha), how ever difficult it may be at the beginning, before sitting for Insight Meditation (vipassanƒÆ’-¾ƒ”š‚).