Post # 77– Developing World Transcending Wisdom in the Path to Nibbana- A guided meditation Practice - Part 4

This is a continuation of the Step by Step meditation practice described in Post # 74 to Post # 76

Step 15

We then advance this investigation, by focusing our mind on what is taught in the Dhamma about a self, as being a conflux of mind and matter (nāma-rūpa-santati). To understand this further we contemplate on how this mind matter conflux has arisen. 

Although the following guided meditation practice is based on some abstract analysis that is taught in the dhamma, and is being accepted more on the trust in it than through any real present moment experiences, this contemplation and mind experience nevertheless validates what is taught in the Dhamma as the nature of this mind-matter conflux.

In this context it is noteworthy to reflect on an earlier experience gained in this meditation practice which can be described as follows. While developing right concentration through serenity meditation, under the Noble Eightfold Path, we experienced chitta–kaya passadiya , a state where the  present moment living experiences were only felt as mind functions of vittaka, vichara,  piti,  suka,  ekkagatha. This experience thus establishes the existence of an independently functioning mind with the matter part (form aggregate) somewhat subdued at that time.

 Step 16

After consolidating this knowledge about an independently functioning mind-the Name aggregate - we then look at what the Dhamma explains about the form aggregate of this name-form aggregation. In this regard we contemplate on what Dhamma says, that when a mother is in season, due to laws of nature (dhamma niyama) there arises in her womb a succession of kalala or seeds (embryo) that arises, stays and ceases. This happens while she is in season and ceases upon the ending of the season. During this time due to mother-father association one such seed gets fertilized from a male sperm from the father.  This fertilized seed acquires from the father and mother the respective genetic inheritances as per the laws of beeja niyama. This fertilized seed thus manifests as the initial state of the Form Aggregate.

 Step 17

We then contemplate on what is known in suthamaya panna as the name aggregate. Dhamma says that under the law of Kamma Niyama, a re-linking consciousness that has left its previous abode at the end of that life, charged with its accumulations of all traits and tendencies, likes and dislikes etc. from its previous existences, seeks an appropriate host (form aggregate) to nest and to begin a new life. As we saw before the form aggregate endowed with the right genetic inheritances from the father and mother that are appropriate to accommodate  the accumulations of traits and tendencies in the arriving re-linking consciousness becomes the appropriate host that it sought. This re-linking consciousness manifests as the initial state of the name aggregate of the new ‘being’ that thus came into existence.

We thus consolidate our initial understanding from suthamaya panna, of the conflux of mind and matter (nāma-rūpa-santati) as an inferential knowledge.

 Step 18

The new 'being' that thus came into existence gets prompted due to Kamma Niyama, to re-enact or engage in the habits, traits and tendencies that were brought over from the previous lives, in this new life as well. As a consequence there comes into being, as a kamma vipaka, the respective components of the mind and matter conflux, with their respective nature and function to fulfill such traits and tendencies. These components thus manifest as solid, liquid, gaseous and heat parts and the sense faculties in the form aggregate. Further we see the manifestation of the sub aggregates - feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness - in the name aggregate.   These sub aggregates of the name and form aggregates are so formed to engage in or fulfill their respective traits and functions that were inherited from the past lives. The re-linking consciousness that passes from the last life to this life brought them over as a kammic inheritance.

Thus there comes to be the five aggregates of form, feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness manifesting as the new 'being'. We review then that they are the only components of the ‘being’ that is undergoing the present moment living experiences.

Step 19

We will then direct and fix our attention on what the body (form aggregate) feels and knows and experiences through this insight meditation practice. Accordingly we contemplate on the sensations and feelings experienced by the body parts such as head hair, body hair, skin, muscles, bones,  other discernible internal solid body parts  while in the sitting posture. By treating these sensations as objects of attention one gains a concentrated mind on these objects. Then by noting with vidarshana the true nature of these feelings, one recognizes the sensations as hardness, tightness, coarseness and heaviness of these solid body parts.

 Similarly we then experience the sensations arising from such body constituents as spit, phlegm, tears, sweat, blood, body oils, urine etc. This is discerned by vidarshana as a sensation of a liquid flowing and dispersing while the constituent parts remain clung together and assisting in the regeneration of perishing parts and dispersing the perished parts. Then we get as a living experience, an understanding of the true nature of the liquid parts in the body.

When the attention is focused on inflow and outflow of breath, we experience the expanding and contracting nature of internal body parts responding to breath, and gain an understanding of the true nature of air as another body part. We will then notice that air that has arisen to fill up the voids among the other body parts has a nature of giving rise to expansion and contraction in body parts enabling movement.

Also focusing attention and concentration on parts of the body in contact with external surfaces or influences such as heat or cold we become aware by insight (vidarshana) of the warm or cold sensations of contact. This is understood as the true nature of heat, which is yet another body part constituting the body that experiences hot or cold as sensations and heating and disaggregating food parts enabling consumption.

This contemplation on what is felt and experienced during this guided meditation validates the suthamaya knowledge that the body consists of solid parts whose true nature is hardness etc., liquid parts whose true nature is flowing and dispersing -both categorized into 28 components- and air as a body part having a nature of causing expansion and contraction, and heat in the body as a body part which experiences hot or cold sensations. 

 Step 20

We then contemplate on what we know  from Suthamaya Panna (what  the teaching says)  about these body parts and consolidate the knowledge that they are formed by the aggregation of the basic units of the form aggregate called ‘Rupa Kalapa’( possibly  the counterpart to molecules or atoms in modern science?).  These Rupa Kalapa have their own specific form/nature and function. The Rupa Kalapas having a specific form/nature are made to combine together by the mind aggregate prompted by the Kamma brought over from the past, to give rise respectively to either solid parts, or liquid parts or gaseous parts or heat part as the case may be. This is a manifestation due to Kamma Niyama. Thus we consolidate the understanding of how these diverse body parts are formed.

The next aspect of this meditation is to contemplate on what Dhamma teaches about these rupa kalapa and how they are formed. Reflecting on what we know from Suthamaya Panna we establish the understanding that they are in turn formed by the combination of still more fundamental phenomena of nature called the Sathara Maha Dathu (elements of action). These elements we recall are termed in the Pali language as Patavi, Arpo Thejo and Vayo. These are the basic elements/actions conditioning the formation of all matter in the universe and by themselves are in the infinite group of phenomena. The Sathara Maha Dathu (elements of action) due to the conditions created by past kamma, aggregates to form the rupa kalapas which are finite phenomena. This aggregation is facilitated by another fundamental phenomena of nature called ahas, the sky element which hosts them and holds them together.

 Step 21

The next quest is the understanding of the nature and function of the Sathara Maha Dathu (elements of action), and those of the sky element. 

Contemplating on what we know from Suthamaya Panna, the true nature of Patavi is seen as a perpetual action having the characteristics of arise, stay and cease. It is an infinite phenomenon not formed by causes and conditions and therefore any penetrative vision as to its formation can go no further. It exists in the conditioned world in combination with the other elements of action facilitated by the sky element. This aggregation is formed due to causes and conditions brought about by past kamma to create the form aggregate in a living being. Patavi’s function when it arises and acts in the conditioned formation (in which it is a part of), is to create the characteristics of hardness/softness, heaviness, grossness, roughness to the required degree in that formation.

By similarly contemplating on what we know from Suthamaya Panna about the true nature of Arpo~(a fundamental action that manifests as ‘flow or paste’ in formations), Thejo~ (a fundamental action that manifests as ‘heat or cold’ in a formation), and Vayo (a fundamental action that manifests as ‘expand or contract’ in a formation) gives us an insight into part of the form aggregate. 

Then by contemplating on what we know from Suthamaya Panna about the true nature of rupa kalapa with an abundance of Patavi with others in lesser proportions when they aggregate, give rise to the solid body parts displaying hardness etc. Similarly those rupa kalapa having an abundance of Apo give rise to the liquids, and those with Vayo give rise to air and Thejo gives rise to heat of the body. By contemplating in this manner we also gain the inferential knowledge that the present moment experience of the body also arises through body parts of solids, liquids, gases and heat formed from the basic elements -Sathara Maha Dathu.

As I have to limit the contents of each Post to facilitate easy reading, I will stop the descriptions here. We will see the continuation in Post # 78