Meditation in the Theravada Abhidhamma

WISDOM ACADEMY

Meditation in the Theravada Abhidhamma

BHIKKHU BODHI

Lesson 2: The Forty Meditation Subjects

Reading: “Meditation Subjects in the Nikāyas” (from Anguttara

Nikāya Ones) by Bhikkhu Bodhi

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MEDITATION SUBJECTS IN THE NIKĀYAS(FROM ANGUTTARA NIKĀYA ONES)

"Bhikkhus, if for just the time of a finger snap a bhikkhu develops [any of the following] he is called a bhikkhu who is not devoid of meditation, who acts upon the teaching of the Master, who responds to his advice, and who does not eat the country's almsfood in vain. How much more, then, those who cultivate it!"

(394) the first jhāna (395) the second jhāna (396) the third jhāna (397) the fourth jhāna;(398) mind liberation by loving-kindness (399) mind liberation by compassion (400)

mind liberation by altruistic joy (401) mind liberation by equanimity; (402) dwells contemplating the body in the body (403) dwells contemplating feelings in

feelings (404) dwells contemplating mind in mind (405) dwells contemplating phenomena in phenomena, ardent, clearly comprehending, mindful, having removed longing and dejection in regard to the world;

(455) the earth kasiṇa (456) the water kasiṇa (457) the fire kasiṇa (458) the air kasiṇa(459) the blue kasiṇa (460) the yellow kasiṇa (461) the red kasiṇa (462) the white kasiṇa (463)the space kasiṇa (464) the consciousness kasiṇa;

(465) the perception of foulness (466) the perception of death (467) the perception of therepulsiveness of food (468) the perception of non-delight in the entire world (469) the perception of impermanence (470) the perception of suffering in the impermanent (471) the perception of non-self in what is suffering (472) the perception of abandoning (473) the perception of dispassion (474) the perception of cessation;

(475) the perception of impermanence (476) the perception of non-self (477) theperception of death (478) the perception of the repulsiveness of food (479) the perception of non-delight in the entire world (480) the perception of a skeleton (481) the perception of a worm-infested corpse (482) the perception of a livid corpse (483) the perception of a fissured corpse (484) the perception of a bloated corpse;

(485) recollection of the Buddha (486) recollection of the Dhamma (487) recollection ofthe Saṅgha (488) recollection of virtuous behavior (489) recollection of generosity (490) recollection of the deities (491) mindfulness of breathing (492) mindfulness of death (493) mindfulness directed to the body (494) recollection of peace.” Note that no sharp division is made between samatha meditation subjects and vipassanā meditation subjects. They are just compiled into lists.

For students of Wisdom Academy — Not for distribution

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SPECIFIC MEDITATION SUBJECTS §6 The Ten Kasiṇas (Aṅguttara Nikāya Tens, no. 25)

"Bhikkhus, there are these ten kasiṇa bases. What ten? One person perceives the earth kasiṇa above, below, across, undivided, measureless. One person perceives the water kasiṇa … the fire kasiṇa … the air kasiṇa … the blue kasiṇa … the yellow kasiṇa … the red kasiṇa … the white kasiṇa … the space kasiṇa … the consciousness kasiṇa above, below, across, undivided, measureless."

Vism: On Developing the Earth Kasina 24. But one who has had no previous practice should make a kasina, guarding against the four faults of a kasina and not overlooking any of the directions for the meditation subject learnt from the teacher. Now, the four faults of the earth kasina are due to the intrusion of blue, yellow, red or white. So instead of using clay of such colours, he should make the kasina of clay like that in the stream of a river, which is the colour of the dawn. And he should make it not in the middle of the monastery in a place where novices, etc., are about but on the confines of the monastery in a screened place, either under an overhanging rock or in a leaf hut. He can make it either portable or as a fixture.

25. Of these, a portable one should be made by tying rags of leather or matting onto four sticks and smearing thereon a disk of the size already mentioned, using clay picked clean of grass, roots, gravel, and sand, and well kneaded. At the time of the preliminary work it should be laid on the ground and looked at. A fixture should be made by knocking stakes into the ground in the form of a lotus calyx, lacing them over with creepers. If the clay is insufficient, then other clay should be put underneath and a disk a span and four fingers across made on top of that with the dawn-coloured clay. For it was with reference only to measurement that it was said above either the size of a bushel or the size of a saucer (§22). But that is bounded, not unbounded was said to show its delimitedness.

26. So, having thus made it of the size prescribed, he should scrape it down with a stone trowel and make it as even as the surface of a drum. Then he should sweep the place out and have a bath. On his return he should seat himself on a well-covered chair about two meters from the kasina disk. For the kasina does not appear plainly to him if he sits further off than that; and if he sits nearer than that, faults in the kasina appear. If he sits higher up, he has to look at it with his neck bent; and if he sits lower down, his knees ache….

He should open his eyes moderately, apprehend the sign, and so proceed to develop it… If he opens his eyes too wide, they get fatigued and the disk becomes too obvious, which prevents the sign becoming apparent to him. If he opens them too little, the disk is not obvious enough, and his mind becomes drowsy, which also prevents the sign becoming apparent to him. So he should develop it by apprehending the sign (nimitta), keeping his eyes open moderately, as if he were seeing the reflection of his face on the surface of a mirror.

29. The colour should not be reviewed. The characteristic should not be given attention. But rather, while not ignoring the colour, attention should be given by setting the mind on the [name] concept as the most outstanding aspect, relegating the colour to the position of a property of its physical support. That [conceptual state] can be called by bringing to mind the idea “earth, earth.” It should be adverted to now with eyes open, now with eyes shut. And he should go on developing it in this way a hundred times, a thousand times, and even more than that, until the learning sign arises.


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§8 The Recollections (Aṅguttara Nikāya Sixes, no, 10; see too no. 25) A. The Six Recollections

(1) "Here, a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata thus: 'The Blessed One is an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.'

When a noble disciple recollects the Tathāgata, on that occasion his mind is not obsessed by lust, hatred, or delusion, but is simply straight, based on the Tathāgata. He gains inspiration in the meaning, inspiration in the Dhamma, joy connected with the Dhamma. When he is joyful, rapture arises. For one with a rapturous mind, the body becomes tranquil. One tranquil in body feels pleasure. For one feeling pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated.

(2) "Again, a noble disciple recollects the Dhamma thus: 'The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.' …

(3) "Again, a noble disciple recollects the Saṅgha thus: 'The Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is practicing the good way, practicing the straight way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals—this Saṅgha of the Blessed One's disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.' …

(4) "Again, a noble disciple recollects his own behavior as unbroken, flawless, unblemished, unblotched, freeing, praised by the wise, ungrasped, leading to concentration.

(5) "Again, a noble disciple recollects his own generosity thus: 'It is truly my good fortune that in a population obsessed by the stain of miserliness, I dwell with a mind devoid of the stain of miserliness, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in relinquishment, devoted to charity, delighting in giving and sharing.'

(6) "Again, a noble disciple recollects the deities thus: 'There are devas in the various heavenly realms. I too have such faith as those deities possessed, because of which, when they passed away here, they were reborn there; I too have such virtuous behavior… such learning … such generosity … such wisdom as those deities possessed, because of which, when they passed away here, they were reborn there.’ ” B. The Recollection of Peace “'This is peaceful, this is sublime, that is, the stilling of all activities, the relinquishing of all acquisitions, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, nibbāna.” C. Recollection of Death


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Explain by way of the three main themes: death is certain, the arrival of death is uncertain, when one goes one must depart abandoning everything and everyone one loves. D. Mindfulness directed to the Body (Foulness) One reviews one’s own body upwards from the soles of the feet and downwards from the tips of the hairs, enclosed in skin, as full of many kinds of impurities: “There are in this body head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, fecal matter, brain, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, skin grease, saliva, snot, fluid of the joints, urine.” E. Mindfulness of breathing: General explanation.

189. Here are the stages in giving attention to it: (1) counting, (2) connection, (3) touching, (4) fixing, (5) observing, (6) turning away, (7) purification, and (8) looking back on these. Herein, counting is just counting, connection is carrying on, touching is the place touched [by the breaths], fixing is absorption, observing is insight, turning away is the path, purification is fruition, looking back on these is reviewing.

196. Having given attention to the breaths by counting, he should now do so by connection. Connection is the uninterrupted following of the in-breaths and out-breaths with mindfulness after counting has been given up. And that is not by following after the beginning, the middle and the end.

198. And the meaning of this may be understood through the simile of the gatekeeper given in the commentaries, and through the simile of the saw given in the Patisambhidámagga.

200. This is the simile of the gatekeeper: A gatekeeper does not examine people inside and outside the town, asking, “Who are you? Where have you come from? Where are you going?”—for those people are not his concern—but he examines each person who arrives at the gate. So too, the meditator is not concerned with the incoming breaths that have gone inside and the outgoing breaths that have gone outside, but only with the inbreaths and outbreaths each time they arrive at the nostrils, which are like the gate.

202. The simile of the saw: “Suppose there were a tree trunk placed on a level piece of ground, and a man cut it with a saw. The man’s mindfulness is established upon the saw’s teeth where they touch the tree trunk. He does not pay attention to the saw’s teeth as they approach and recede, though they are not unknown to him as they do so; and he makes an effort, carries out his task, and achieves an effect. As the tree trunk placed on the level piece of ground, so is the object for the anchoring of mindfulness. As the saw’s teeth, so the in-breaths and out-breaths. As the man’s mindfulness is established upon the saw’s teeth where they touch the tree trunk, without his giving attention to the saw’s teeth as they approach and recede, though they are not unknown to him as they do so, and so he manifests effort, carries out a task, and achieves an effect, so too the meditator establishes mindfulness at the nose tip or on the upper lip, without giving attention to the in-breaths and out-breaths as they approach and recede, though they are not unknown to him as they do so, and he makes effort, carries out his task, and achieves an effect.”

§9. The Four Illimitables (Brahmavihāras) Mettā: The Breaking Down of the Barriers

41. When one’s resentment towards that hostile person has been thus allayed, then one can turn the mind of loving-kindness towards that person too, just as towards the one who is dear, the very dear


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friend, and the neutral person. Then one should break down the barriers by practicing loving-kindness over and over again, accomplishing mental impartiality towards the four persons, that is to say, oneself, the dear person, the neutral person and the hostile person.

43. Thus the sign and access are obtained by this bhikkhu simultaneously with the breaking down of the barriers. But when breaking down of the barriers has been effected, he reaches absorption in the way described under the earth kasiṇa without trouble by cultivating, developing, and repeatedly practicing that same sign.

The Distinction between the Four Illimitables

93. As to the characteristic, etc., loving-kindness is characterized here as promoting the aspect of welfare. Its function is to prefer welfare. It is manifested as the removal of annoyance. Its proximate cause is seeing loveableness in beings.It succeeds when it makes ill will subside, and it fails when it produces (selfish) affection.

94. Compassion is characterized as promoting the aspect of allaying suffering.Its function resides in not bearing others’ suffering. It is manifested as non-cruelty. Its proximate cause is to see helplessness in those overwhelmed by suffering. It succeeds when it makes cruelty subside and it fails when it produce ssorrow.

95. Gladness is characterized as gladdening (produced by others’ success).12Its function resides in being unenvious. It is manifested as the elimination ofaversion (boredom). Its proximate cause is seeing beings, success. It succeeds when it makes aversion (boredom) subside, and it fails when it produces merriment.

96. Equanimity is characterized as promoting the aspect of neutrality towards beings. Its function is to see equality in beings. It is manifested as the quieting of resentment and approval. Its proximate cause is seeing ownership of deeds (kamma) thus: “Beings are owners of their deeds. It is their own deeds that determine whether they will become happy, or will get free from suffering, or will preserve the success they have reached?” It succeeds when it makes resentment and approval subside, and it fails when it produces the equanimity of unknowing, which is worldly-minded indifference based on ignorance. §10. Perception of the Repulsiveness of Food

5. One who wants to develop that perception of repulsiveness in nutriment should learn the meditation subject and see that he has no uncertainty about even a single word of what he has learnt. Then he should go into solitary retreat and review repulsiveness in ten aspects in the physical nutriment classified as what is eaten, drunk, chewed, and tasted, that is to say, as to going, seeking, using, secretion, receptacle, what is uncooked (undigested), what is cooked (digested), fruit, outflow, and smearing. §11. Analysis of the Four elements: Concise method: the four characteristics—earth = hardness/softness, rough/smooth, heavy/light; water = cohesion (or flowing); fire = heat/cold; air = distension and movement (expansion and contraction). Detailed method: twenty bodily parts represent earth; twelve parts represent water; four aspects of fire; six aspects of wind (see MN 62, MN 140).


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The earth element: Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is solid, that is, head-hairs, body-hairs, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, sinews, bones, bone-marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, diaphragm, spleen, lungs, intestines, mesentery, stomach, fecal matter, brain. The water element: Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid, that is, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, grease, saliva, snot, fluid of the joints, urine, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fluid. The fire element: Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is fiery, that is, that by which one is warmed, ages, and is consumed, and that by which what is eaten, drunk, consumed, and tasted gets completely digested, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is fiery. The air element: Whatever internally, belonging to oneself, is gaseous, that is, up-going winds, down-going winds, winds in the belly, winds in the bowels, winds that course through the limbs, in-breath and out-breath, or whatever else internally, belonging to oneself, is gaseous.


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Meditation in the Theravada Abhidhamma