September 2018 Course
Announcements Forum
Welcome from Andrew Page
Introduction to Meditation and the Course Page
Daily Practice Focus Page
Glossary
“In Practice…” Searchable questions and replies URL
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Jump to Week: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10
29 September - 5 October
In this first week we begin to practice Mindfulness of Breathing, an ancient technique that is found in several spiritual traditions. It forms a solid foundation in meditative concentration and can result in increased levels of calm and tranquillity.
Welcome (Video) Page
Saturday - Mindfulness of Breathing Book
Audio Player - Mindfulness of Breathing Page
Audio Download - Mindfulness of Breathing File
Using the Daily Contemplation Page
Contemplation - Day 1 Page
Sunday - The Breath and the Sections Book
Contemplation - Day 2 Page
Monday - No Need For Knots Book
On Mindfulness of Breathing (Video) Page
Contemplation - Day 3 Page
Tuesday - Preferences and Habits Book
Contemplation - Day 4 Page
Wednesday - Ordinary Breath, Closely Felt Book
Contemplation - Day 5 Page
Thursday - Results and Time Book
Contemplation - Day 6 Page
Friday - Distractions and Development Book
Contemplation - Day 7 Page
Chant Workshop 1 (optional) Page
6 October - 12 October
This week we continue our practice of Mindfulness of Breathing; look at how to deal constructively with the hindrances that arise; and begin to explore the ethical precepts.
Saturday - Tension and Tiredness Book
Contemplation - Day 8 Page
Sunday - Hindrances to Meditation Book
Contemplation - Day 9 Page
Monday - Ill-will, Sloth & Torpor Book
Contemplation - Day 10 Page
Tuesday - Restlessness, Worry & Doubt Book
Contemplation - Day 11 Page
Wednesday - Precepts in Meditation Training Book
Contemplation - Day 12 Page
Thursday - First Precept Book
Contemplation - Day 13 Page
Friday - Second Precept Book
Contemplation - Day 14 Page
Chant Workshop 2 (optional) Page
13 October - 19 October
This week we begin to explore the first of the Sublime Abode practices - Mettā or Lovingkindness Meditation. If you are able to meditate for more than one sitting each day, please work with Mettā in one session and Mindfulness of Breathing in the other.
Moving to the Second Practice (Video) Page
Saturday - The Boundless States Book
Contemplation - Day 15 Page
Sunday - Mettā: Lovingkindness Meditation Book
Audio Player - Lovingkindness Meditation Page
Audio Download - Lovingkindness Meditation File
Contemplation - Day 16 Page
Monday - The Discourse on Mettā Book
Contemplation - Day 17 Page
Tuesday - Expectations, Strengths, Cultivation Book
Contemplation - Day 18 Page
Wednesday - Connection and Extension Book
Contemplation - Day 19 Page
Thursday - Unconditional and Whole-hearted Book
Contemplation - Day 20 Page
Friday - The Third Precept Book
Contemplation - Day 21 Page
Chant Workshop 3 (optional) Page
20 October - 26 October
In this fourth week we continue to focus mainly on Mettā (lovingkindness) Meditation. This is the foundation for the other 3 “sublime abode” practices. If you are able to meditate for more than one sitting each day, please work with Mettā in one session and Mindfulness of Breathing in the other.
Saturday - Phrases and Images Book
Contemplation - Day 22 Page
Sunday - Sections and Subjects Book
Contemplation - Day 23 Page
Monday - Benefactor and Friend Book
Contemplation - Day 24 Page
Tuesday - Neutral and Difficult Book
Contemplation - Day 25 Page
Wednesday - All Sentient Beings Book
Contemplation - Day 26 Page
Thursday - When There’s No Mettā Book
Contemplation - Day 27 Page
Friday - The Fourth Precept Book
Contemplation - Day 28 Page
Chant Workshop 4 (optional) Page
27 October - 2 November
For our fifth week we introduce Karuna Meditation, the cultivation of compassion, and begin to explore one of the central teachings of the tradition: the Four Noble Truths.
Saturday - Karuna: Compassion Meditation Book
Audio Player - Compassion Meditation Page
Audio Download - Compassion Meditation File
Contemplation - Day 29 Page
Sunday - Empathy not Pity Book
Contemplation - Day 30 Page
Monday - Recognition, Response, Capacity Book
Contemplation - Day 31 Page
Tuesday - Four Noble Truths Book
On Lovingkindness and Compassion (Video) Page
Contemplation - Day 32 Page
Wednesday - The Truth of Dukkha Book
Contemplation - Day 33 Page
Thursday - Dukkha’s Origin Book
Contemplation - Day 34 Page
Friday - Extinction of Dukkha Book
Contemplation - Day 35 Page
Chant Workshop 5 (optional) Page
3 November - 9 November
In this sixth week we explore Appreciative Joy meditation. If you are sitting twice each day, then please pick a complementary technique from those we have already met for your other session. Work steadily and gently to establish your regular sittings. We’ll also briefly outline the final brahmavihara practice (for use beyond the course) and conclude our look at the precepts.
Saturday - Mudita: Appreciative Joy Meditation Book
Audio Player - Appreciative Joy Meditation Page
Download Audio - Appreciative Joy Meditation File
Contemplation - Day 36 Page
Sunday - Recognising Joy and Sorrow Book
On Appreciative Joy (Video) Page
Contemplation - Day 37 Page
Monday - Envy and Fairness Book
Contemplation - Day 38 Page
Tuesday - Fifth Precept Book
Contemplation - Day 39 Page
Wednesday - Eight Precepts Book
Contemplation - Day 40 Page
Thursday - Introducing Equanimity Book
Contemplation - Day 41 Page
Friday - The Practice of Equanimity Meditation Book
Audio Player - Equanimity Meditation Page
Audio Download - Equanimity Meditation File
Contemplation - Day 42 Page
Chant Workshop 6 (optional) Page
10 November - 16 November
We begin our first vipassanā meditation practice and will be working with vipassanā for the rest of the course. If you are sitting twice each day please use one session for vipassanā and the other for one of the samatha methods we have been using thus far. If meditating once each day please always focus on the current technique.
Saturday - Vipassanā: the U Ba Khin Method Book
Audio Player - Vipassanā U Ba Khin Style Page
Audio Download - Vipassanā U Ba Khin Style File
Contemplation - Day 43 Page
Sunday - A Different Approach Book
Introducing Insight (Video) Page
Contemplation - Day 44 Page
Monday - Pace and Observation Book
Contemplation - Day 45 Page
Tuesday - Honest Experience Book
Contemplation - Day 46 Page
Wednesday - Just What Is Present Book
Contemplation - Day 47 Page
Thursday - Theoretical Background Book
Contemplation - Day 48 Page
Friday - Impermanence As The Key Book
Contemplation - Day 49 Page
Chant Workshop 7 (optional) Page
This week
17 November - 23 November
We continue, in this eighth week, with the U Ba Khin vipassanā practice and consider our identity, its transience and the spiritual faculties that we each can utilize.
Saturday - Effort and the Fixed View Book
Contemplation - Day 50 Page
Sunday - Fleeting Life and Death Book
Restricted Available from 17 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 51 Page
Restricted Available from 17 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Monday - Transience Book
Restricted Available from 18 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 52 Page
Restricted Available from 18 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Tuesday - Darts and Mustard Seeds Book
Restricted Available from 19 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 53 Page
Restricted Available from 19 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Wednesday - Grief, Attended to Book
Restricted Available from 20 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 54 Page
Restricted Available from 20 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Thursday - Five Spiritual Faculties (1) Book
Restricted Available from 21 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 55 Page
Restricted Available from 21 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Friday - Five Spiritual Faculties (2) Book
Restricted Available from 22 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 56 Page
Restricted Available from 22 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Chant Workshop 8 (optional) Page
Restricted Available from 22 November 2018, 11:00 pm
24 November - 30 November
In this ninth week we begin Choiceless Awareness - a form of vipassanā meditation that is fluid and unstructured, freeing us to explore all kinds of sensory phenomena. We also explore the Noble Eightfold Path which is an approach to life that brings freedom from suffering and ultimately aids liberation.
Saturday - Vipassanā: Choiceless Awareness Book
Restricted Available from 23 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 57 Page
Restricted Available from 23 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Sunday - Structure and Freedom Book
Restricted Available from 24 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Beginning Choiceless Awareness (Video) Page
Restricted Available from 24 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 58 Page
Restricted Available from 24 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Monday - Physical and Mental Connection Book
Restricted Available from 25 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 59 Page
Restricted Available from 25 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Tuesday - Open, Attentive, Receptive Book
Restricted Available from 26 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 60 Page
Restricted Available from 26 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Wednesday - Noble Path: Understanding, Thought Book
Restricted Available from 27 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 61 Page
Restricted Available from 27 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Thursday - Noble Path: Speech, Action, Livelihood Book
Restricted Available from 28 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 62 Page
Restricted Available from 28 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Friday - Noble Path: Effort, Mindfulness, Concentration Book
Restricted Available from 29 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 63 Page
Restricted Available from 29 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Chant Workshop 9 (optional) Page
Restricted Available from 29 November 2018, 11:00 pm
1 December - 7 December
In our final week we continue with Choiceless Awareness as our vipassanā practice, explore The Perfections, and begin to think about building a sustainable practice beyond the course.
Saturday - The Perfections (1) Book
Restricted Available from 30 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 64 Page
Restricted Available from 30 November 2018, 11:00 pm
Sunday - The Perfections (2) Book
Restricted Available from 1 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 65 Page
Restricted Available from 1 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Monday - Preparation and Walking Book
Restricted Available from 2 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 66 Page
Restricted Available from 2 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Tuesday - Mindful Activity Book
Restricted Available from 3 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 67 Page
Restricted Available from 3 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Wednesday - Building Sustainable Practice Book
Restricted Available from 4 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 68 Page
Restricted Available from 4 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Thursday - Markers and Retreats Book
Restricted Available from 5 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 69 Page
Restricted Available from 5 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Friday - Friends and The Raft Book
Restricted Available from 6 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Contemplation - Day 70 Page
Restricted Available from 6 December 2018, 11:00 pm
Daily Contemplations Page
Restricted Available from 6 December 2018, 11:00 pm
A Farewell Request Page
Restricted Available from 6 December 2018, 11:00 pm
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13 October - 19 October
20 October - 26 October
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1 December - 7 December
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Home[2:12 PM, 11/17/2018] Chandrashekar: https://course.org/campus/mod/forum/view.php?id=57
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Welcome from Andrew ▶
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September 2018 Meditation Course
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Welcome from Andrew
Welcome from Andrew
AndrewWelcome
I’m very glad that you’ve decided to join me for this 10 week course.
This Vipassanā Fellowship course is a practical guide to Buddhist meditation that I hope will be useful to those who are new to meditation and to established meditators wishing to further explore a rich and vital tradition. The course is intended for those of all religious traditions (and none) but aims for clarity by keeping the descriptive and explanatory material in the context from which it grew. Our beliefs, cultures and circumstances may be very different but it is often fruitful to have a window into another framework so that our habitual patterns can be re-examined in the light of the challenge. The emphasis is on dedicated practice: it is hoped that you will absorb a little of the material and then apply it in daily meditation sessions over an extended period. These closely related meditation techniques are rooted in the earliest Buddhist texts and have the capacity to transform both heart and mind, and serve any meditator well for a lifetime of fruitful, and often joyous, practice.
Meditation is by no means the whole of the Buddhist Path; but for those who would seek enlightenment it is certainly central to it. My aim is to clearly explain the method of practice, the practical difficulties that may be encountered and to explore strategies for overcoming them. Each practice is placed in context so that you will come to appreciate why a particular route has been suggested and its relationship to the Buddha’s teaching. Rather than choosing to separate meditation from a tradition that can sustain it, or presenting a single technique as a panacea, I have tried to advocate a balanced and consistent approach to Buddhist practice cognizant of the conditions that the Buddha deemed necessary for an awakening to be possible.
Each of the techniques is a meditation practice that can stand alone, but there is a logical progression in the way that they are introduced. Although it may be tempting to select the technique that one is most drawn to at the outset, I’d recommend that you work with each technique in the order in which it is given. Mastery of any practice will take many years, but a few weeks of introductory work with each of the techniques offered in this course will enable you to become aware of the correspondence and differences between the techniques and will, in a sense, bring them into your repertoire for further use throughout your meditating life. It will also give an indication of the range of skills that need to be developed and the areas where particular work may be needed.
New material is presented to you each day in this Course Campus. The text ranges from detailed instructions on each new technique, to short practical notes and brief theoretical sketches. Over the 10 weeks you should gain an appreciation of the broader picture and will have an understanding of the breadth of Buddhist forms of meditation and ethical practice. There is also a selection of verses from our version of the Dhammapada: one of the best-loved collections in the Canon offered for reflection. These thematically-arranged stanzas offer an accessible introduction to major aspects of the Buddhist path and an experience of Affective Reading.
You should try to visit the Course Campus on a regular basis. The web site will be updated regularly throughout the course in response to the practice questions raised by your fellow participants. There is a database of past questions (just follow the “In Practice” link) and the opportunity to engage in Dhamma discussion for those who find this type of activity fruitful. You can also contact me directly with your meditation queries and related questions by using one of the Contact links.
There are downloadable audio guided meditations when new techniques are introduced in the text, a series of chant workshops with accompanying audio files and a glossary of Pali terms. The recordings become available on the site for instant streaming or individual download as the course progresses.
How long should I meditate?
If you are a beginner you should try to incorporate at least one session into each day, lasting for about 20-30 minutes. This time may be increased gradually and another daily session can be added when you feel ready.
For those with previous meditation experience, I recommend two sessions per day lasting from 30 minutes to one hour each (or longer). If you have additional time, perhaps at weekends, then additional sessions can be incorporated.
The audio guided meditation files become available to you as new techniques are introduced. They are intended to as illustrative material, so that you can become familiar with how to construct your own meditation sitting. It is not a good idea to use any guided meditation recordings on a long-term basis.
Try not to mix different meditation techniques into the same sitting, unless this is suggested in the text. If you are able only to incorporate one session into your day give priority to familiarizing yourself with the fundamentals of the newest technique.
What is the chanting about?
The audio chants included in the course are supplementary, and their use is entirely optional. These are presented as a Chant Workshop, each Friday, for the first part of our course session. The whole sequence can be downloaded in the final Workshop. Some people find traditional Buddhist ritual helps them to settle into their meditation practice; for others it is a hindrance. Please use these, or other, Buddhist chants to frame your meditation sittings if you wish. Translations are given for each of the Pāli chants.
Approaching this path
These are not dry academic exercises, mental gymnastics or philosophical debates: meditation can bring real wisdom and unparalleled states of calmness and bliss. The danger is to expect these results immediately. It will take some time and in the early stages all of us will experience doubt about the validity of working in this way. The lokiya - or mundane - benefits will start to become apparent quite soon if we practise with commitment and determined effort. It is important that we don’t settle for these, of course, but such glimpses of the positive outcome of our work may inspire a certain degree of confidence or saddhā in the value of meditation and the Path.
There are hundreds of methods of meditation, several varieties of Buddhism and many varied spiritual paths. Many offer something of value; but to be of use any valid path or method will require commitment. No technique will prove effective unless followed with discipline and effort. It is recommended that whilst working with this course you follow the outline as it is given rather than trying to accommodate different approaches from other traditions within the same sittings. There is always the desire to experiment and see if anyone else has got a different handle on the challenges we face, but why not make best use of this current experience? Try to work with any difficulties that are encountered rather than substituting unrelated alternatives. Many of the challenges we face during meditation are effective pointers to those areas requiring most attention, and if we simply shift ground every time something seems difficult we will learn very little from the experience and our progress, if any, will be slow. We must become aware of our hunger for novelty: the constant seeking of newer, better, faster, is still craving whether we are talking about a new car or a new meditation technique. Craving, as we shall see, is at the root of the suffering we experience.
So, take it gently but seriously. Apply the practices with commitment and, in time, you will become convinced of their efficacy. Please remember that I am available to help where I can and that you can contact me whenever you have questions about the practices we are using. I look forward to getting to know you better over the coming days.
I would like to offer any merits of this course to the teachers who have blessed me with advice and encouragement over the past decades - and especially to those from Sri Lanka. May they and all beings attain peace.
With mettā,
Andrew
Last modified: Wednesday, 11 January 2017, 7:43 pm
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Introduction to Meditation and the Course
Introduction to Meditation and the Course
Introduction to Meditation and the Course
The Buddha taught a path of liberation that is open to all. His main concern was not for our temporary happiness, nor that our relationships and communities be harmonious, nor even that we live long and healthy lives. These, and many other beneficial things, may indeed happen as we apply the Buddha’s teaching; but they are not its purpose. Territorial disputes, environmental crises and social inequality are all burning issues of our time; but whilst our response may be aided by acting on Buddhist principles, they are not what his teaching is about.
The Buddha’s only concern was that we should open our eyes and see the reality of existence for ourselves so that we may, like him, take the steps that are necessary to be released from all forms of suffering, forever. Meditation is a way to begin this process of awakening.
“I teach not only the fact of Suffering,
but also the deliverance from it.
……
Mind is the originator of (unhappy) states.
Mind is chief; they are mind made.
If one speaks or acts with a wicked mind,
then suffering follows one,
like the wheel follows the hoof of the draught-ox.
Mind is the originator of (happy) states.
Mind is chief; they are mind made.
If one speaks or acts with a pure mind,
then happiness follows one,
like one’s own shadow that never leaves.”
- The Buddha
Meditation is a method of training the mind. Much of our life is conducted unconsciously, thoughtlessly. We operate on automatic pilot most of the time, behaving in ways to which we have become accustomed; without much regard for the current situation, our motivation, or the outcome of our actions. This unconscious way of living brings suffering, unsatisfactoriness and stress into our own lives and to the relationships we have with others. Through our ignorance and selfishness we engineer our suffering and deny ourselves the possibility of greater happiness.
This careless way of living brings us much grief: not only are our relationships often tainted by anger, hurt and jealousy, but even our self-view is distorted through clouded perceptions and muddled thinking. Living consciously is a way of changing our relationship to the world around us, and beginning a journey into discovering its (and our) true nature.
Meditation is a tool to help us develop greater awareness, and this awareness allows us to develop insight into the nature of reality. Why do we behave the way we do? Who are we anyway? Why do so many things ultimately seem so disappointing and unsatisfactory? Why do beings suffer so much? Is there an end to suffering? The experience of meditation allows us for the first time to develop the clarity that can facilitate a dramatic change in our perceptions. We can begin to live in a way that is mindful. Life can be transformed by this new awareness and the insights it brings; it can become kinder, more compassionate, joyful, and balanced.
Meditation has been a feature of the major religious traditions for millennia but somewhere along the way most of us have become separated from it and no longer use it in our daily lives. Maybe we had a problem with the particular belief system with which the contemplative experience was associated, or perhaps the practice of meditation had been deemed the special preserve of the professionally religious within that tradition. Whatever the reason, many of us reach a stage at which we realize that we need to reintroduce a measure of contemplation into our lives - we need to slow down, take time to consider, to live consciously. Often we are drawn to those traditions that have kept the meditative experience as a core teaching and this may lead us to explore what Buddhism has to offer. We may not be looking to take up a different religion but recognise that some spiritual traditions have useful and practical methods of supporting our spiritual development and awakening regardless of the religious framework we maintain.
In this course, and on our cushions, we shall be exploring techniques derived from the Buddha’s teaching as contained in the suttas of the Pāli Canon. These teachings from 2500 years ago were given by the Buddha and his close disciples in India, and were preserved by oral recitation until they found written expression in the Pāli language in Sri Lanka. Buddhism may seem very foreign to some of us but, fear not, this course - and indeed Buddhism itself - does not ask anyone to adopt any beliefs that are not confirmed by their own experience.
Until faith arises, through direct evidence of the efficacy of a particular teaching, it can be difficult to determine the path we should follow. The Buddha gave some solid advice to non-Buddhists as to how they should most profitably judge the validity of the myriad competing theories and belief systems:
“Do not be led by reports, tradition or hearsay. Do not be led by the authority of religious texts, nor by mere logic or speculation, nor by considering appearances, nor by delighting in speculative views, nor by seeming possibilities, nor by the idea: ‘this is our teacher’. But … when you know for yourselves that certain things are unwholesome, wrong and bad, then give them up … And when you know for yourselves that certain things are wholesome and good, then accept them and follow them.”
Try to keep this in mind as you work through the units of this course. Accept nothing simply because it is written down here or even because it is contained in a particular discourse. We will be using techniques that have stood the test of time and that others have found helpful. All that is required at this preliminary stage is that we have a degree of confidence that because these techniques have proven beneficial to others there is a reasonable likelihood that they may also be of value in our lives.
We should remain aware that the practices introduced in the course are derived from a living tradition. The explanations given will be consistent with this tradition, but are couched in modern language. In the interest of clarity we will try to avoid references to other spiritual traditions and western psychology. Buddhism based on the texts of the Pāli Canon has valuable teachings beyond the scope of what can be covered here, and you are warmly encouraged to explore it further.
The Path Of Meditation And Action
Buddhist meditation styles can be divided into two groups: there are forms of meditation that are undertaken with the objective of acquiring a greater degree of calmness, tranquillity or serenity through concentration on a single object (usually called samatha meditation), and other forms that aim at gaining insight into the nature of existence (usually called vipassanā meditation). It is probably more helpful to see samatha and vipassanā as the beneficial results of a developed meditation practice rather than a strict division referring to types of techniques as they can co-exist in harmony. The Buddhist path has a single goal, and engagement with any of these practices may help us to work towards it.
Venerable Nyanatiloka, a Western monk of the last century, summed up the complementary nature of the two categories very well: he wrote that samatha or tranquillity is “an unperturbed, peaceful and lucid state of mind attained by strong mental concentration. Though as a distinct way of practice, it aims at the attainment of the meditative Absorptions (jhāna), a high degree of tranquil concentration … is indispensable for Insight too. Tranquillity frees the mind from impurities and inner obstacles, and gives it greater penetrative strength.” In contrast, vipassanā or insight “is the penetrative understanding by direct meditative experience, of the impermanency, unsatisfactoriness and impersonality of all material and mental phenomena of existence. It is Insight that leads to entrance into the supermundane states of Holiness and to final liberation”.
You will notice how prominent are the words ‘act’ and ‘action’ in these pages; and you may find this surprising for a text on Buddhist meditation. Meditation is not just about sitting on cushions. There is certainly merit in taking timeout for concentration and mindfulness but it is also part of a broader path to the complete cessation of all suffering, and this can only be viable if our every action is informed by our practice and by wholesome ethical considerations. One of the best measures we have of the effectiveness of our meditation sittings is in the actions that result from the time we spend on the cushion. If they are more skilful then they would otherwise be, then this is an indication that our time has not been wasted. Volitional actions - those actions of body, speech and mind that we intentionally commit - are what shape our lives. This kamma is the major determinant of the degree of happiness and sorrow we will experience. Through working with gentle determination on this path of bhāvanā, or development, we will be better able to ensure that the fruits of those actions are wholesome and that we create the conditions where liberation may be possible.
Although it should never be seen as its primary purpose, Buddhist meditation can be very effective in improving our everyday lives and the happiness of others. By the changes wrought in our own minds, through the meditative process, our understanding of behaviour improves immeasurably. This allows us to bring kindness, respect and compassion to all our interactions in a way that was perhaps absent or compromised before. Our actions are informed by the mindfulness we bring to our daily activities, and become more balanced and appropriate to the reality of the situations we meet.
The Route Of Serenity And Bliss
Samatha meditation, and the sorts of mental states achieved through it, are common to many religious traditions but take distinctive forms in the Buddhist tradition and are central to it. To see samatha as only a preparation for vipassanā would be erroneous as the samatha approach forms an authentic and deep training and one for which many people are most suited. The jhānas, the highly developed mental states that arise from samatha practice, can offer the potential of a more joyful path than could be expected through vipassanā practice alone. The descriptions of the jhānas that we find in the Pāli Canon are replete with beautiful terms like joy, happiness, bliss, rapture, the abandonment of pain and grief. Whilst complete liberation within a single lifetime is a goal for some, and that would require insight, others take the longer view and choose to work methodically to create the optimum conditions for achieving that final liberation in a later birth. For these people samatha meditation may continue to provide the sustenance and development that they seek.
The first technique that we will use as a samatha practice is Mindfulness of Breathing or ānāpānasati and this will form the foundation for the rest of our work. Through training the mind by fixing our attention on a simple object such as the breathing we develop a skill that is needed in all other forms of meditation: the ability to hone in precisely on an object and to be completely with it for a sustained period. Besides acquiring this necessary skill, the practice of itself brings greater calm and serenity.
From ānāpānasati we begin to work with a series of interrelated techniques that are perhaps a little less abstract. Still part of the samatha grouping, the cultivation of the brahmavihāras or sublime abiding works primarily on an emotional level to bring about positive mental states. The method used could be summarised as empathy, and we approach each of four qualities in a methodical way; gradually building our skills by focusing on them in turn and working in distinct sections for the purpose of training.
The practical result of working with these four techniques is that we open our hearts to what is wholesome and nurturing and cease to be capable of acting in ways that are hostile and destructive. We open to lovingkindness - working to include every sentient being. If we fully develop lovingkindness we become considerate and caring in relationships with others. Through the application of lovingkindness, our actions are incapable of being influenced by ill will.
From lovingkindness we move on to work with compassion; feeling with people who suffer. When we understand the universality of suffering then at the deepest level we can begin to act in ways that minimise our contribution to the pain that the world endures. Again, this works on a personal level - we act to reduce our own suffering - and also in relation to every being with which we are connected. Through the application of compassion, our actions are incapable of being influenced by cruelty.
When we come to the third brahmavihāra, appreciative joy, we consider what is glorious in the lives around us. This is celebratory and distinctly unselfish. We develop an awareness of the beauty that exists even in the lives of people who usually present us with difficulties; fully aware that in some cases it may be us who fit this category. By developing the ability to “enjoy the joy”, wherever it is found, we reinforce our understanding of commonality and our resolution to work to extend happiness through our actions. Through the application of appreciative joy, our actions are incapable of being influenced by apathy or discontent.
The fourth practice is on equanimity and is the culmination of all that has gone before. We will only touch on it briefly during the course as it requires a firm foundation in the other sublime abodes; but the method is outlined so that it can be used beyond the course. With Equanimity we work very deeply to see the patterns that usually allow us to be partial. We normally selectively give and selectively withhold throughout our interactions with others. We like, we dislike; we favour, we act with prejudice. The other three brahmavihāra practices have shown us, and developed in us, an understanding of how non-separate we really are from others: we seek happiness and freedom from suffering just like everyone else; we engage in destructive activities just like others. Once that commonality is acknowledged at the deepest level, through our meditation practice, we come to a realisation that the respect we show for any other being can be no different from that which we ourselves would wish to enjoy. Through this practice we work at balancing and overcoming partiality. Through the application of equanimity, our actions are incapable of being influenced by resentment or aversion.
As a process of training, we will work methodically through various sections and take a person-centred approach with each of the brahmavihāras; but the canonical goal is of an all-encompassing, universal application of these qualities. Once we have acquired the ability to freely share each of the brahmavihāra in a strong and equanimous way, then we can move forward to impartial, fully inclusive and boundless application of all four qualities. By being exposed to the different brahmavihāra techniques the subtle differences between the different qualities will become more readily apparent. Without this approach it is common for meditators to lack precision during their sittings: all positive emotions are classed as lovingkindness, for example, rather than carefully ascertaining how lovingkindness differs from compassion. Until we have this clarity it is difficult to optimally develop these positive states; we descend instead into generalised pleasant thoughts rather than creating an environment in which serious work can happen and transformation of the heart may occur.
That is the theory. It may all at this stage seem a little far-fetched (and some of it may seem undesirable or even unwise) but very soon the value of working in this way will become apparent. We begin to notice it first in small ways through our improved everyday communications with others. By opening to, and developing, what is already there - lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity - we can ensure that we are well equipped to cause least harm and greatest help to ourselves and others. Whatever destructive patterns we may currently employ, or have engaged in previously, the effort expended on working with the brahmavihāras will be entirely beneficial. It is a gradual path but the opening of the heart and the effect that this has on our behaviour is tangible, even after a relatively short period of sustained application.
The Route Of Insight
Vipassanā is often regarded as a specifically Buddhist form of meditation; different from anything presented elsewhere. What is distinctive about vipassanā - literally ’special seeing’ or ‘clear vision’ - is that through one’s own effort it brings an understanding of things as they are: impermanent (anicca), inherently unsatisfactory (dukkha), and not-Self (anattā). With the arising of insight, we no longer need rely on scriptural accounts, or on what others have told us, because we know for ourselves.
The modern favouring of vipassanā meditation, particularly in the West, stems from a belief that one cannot attain complete liberation through the jhānas (the attainments of samatha practice). Whilst this is technically correct, most of us have quite a way to go before such lofty concerns present us with any such obstacle. One should not forget that the results of samatha meditation are of value in themselves as well as in the essential preparation they represent as we begin vipassanā practice. In these days of instant gratification vipassanā is sometimes presented as the form of meditation with “go faster stripes” and, for some, samatha practice is seen as second best; but this is an immature assessment as there are no short cuts to liberation. It is also a misreading of the texts and a denial of the practical requirement for engagement with at least some form of samatha meditation to develop the degree of concentration and precision required if we are to succeed with vipassanā.
The later part of the course introduces two techniques drawn from those usually classified as vipassanā bhāvanā (the cultivation of insight), and shows how these relate to the samatha practices that we have already met. One of the techniques focuses on clearly seeing the arising and ceasing of physical and mental feelings by observation of the body. The other technique moves beyond structure to bring the same precision and mindfulness to all the phenomena of which we are aware.
The Conjoined Route
Traditionally, most Buddhist meditation teachers would advocate the practice of samatha meditation before embarking on vipassanā meditation and this is the approach that we will pursue. In the Pāli Canon we read, “when one practices samatha followed by vipassanā the path arises”. It is not necessary to specialise only in the samatha form of meditation or only vipassanā meditation, as the Buddha’s own example shows us the value of working with both. This approach is known as yuganaddha; the yoking together of distinct elements in a congruent and harmonious way so that no area of our development is neglected. Our work on samatha will not be eclipsed when we come to consider vipassanā but will instead continue to accompany and enrich it until we reach the final goal. The first part of this course is devoted to techniques normally considered samatha meditation and beyond that we work mainly with two forms of vipassanā meditation.
We will also look at bringing a meditative approach to daily life, through the practice of mindfulness, and the importance of bringing awareness to the teachings that life can show us in some of the major mileposts we encounter.
Meditation enables us to see things from different perspectives. The Buddha emphasised the critical importance of right understanding as essential for our development. We shall look at three cardinal concepts of the Buddhist path: dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness), anicca (impermanence) and anattā (not-self, egolessness). From an intellectual grasp of these ideas we can, through meditation, gain a real understanding of the nature of the conditioned world, and realise our place within it. Armed with this understanding we can act in skilful ways to benefit the lives of those with whom we come into contact. This ethical behaviour produces harmonious conditions for further meditation. The results are cumulative and significant, and both the meditator and those with whom he or she interacts will feel the impact.
“When tranquillity is developed, the mind is developed and lust is abandoned; when insight is developed, right understanding is developed and ignorance is abandoned. The mind defiled with lust is not liberated; when there is defilement through ignorance, right understanding is not developed… ” - Anguttara Nikāya
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September 2018 Meditation Course
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Online A1 (Awakened One) Tipiṭaka Research & Practice University in Visual Format (FOA1TRPUVF)