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Post # 79- Developing World Transcending Wisdom in the Path to Nibbana - A guided meditation practice - Part 6
This is a continuation of the
Step by Step meditation practice described in Posts #s 74 to 78
Step 26
Here we review what Dhamma describes as to how consciousness
manifests in different forms to fulfill other functions in this life. These
functions are engaging in traits and tendencies that have been inherited from past lives as
kammic legacies to be enacted in this
new life as well.
Contemplating therefore on what we know from Suthamaya Panna about other forms and functions of consciousness, we see that when an external stimulus such as a form (colour), a sound, smell, taste, or a tactile sensation reaches the living being (a name-form aggregation), the relevant faculty of the form aggregate - that has ‘come to be’ for that function due to past kamma, experiences the particular stimulus as an impact or a bodily contact (pattiga sampassa; rupa-rupa contact). The name aggregate then responds by arising from the temporary dormant state it was in (bawanga), and turns towards the particular sense door (pancha duwara wajjana) that experienced the impact. The name aggregate thus experiences this contact through the respective sense consciousness (vinnana) arising in the sense doors. This experience when felt in the mind (name aggregate) as a mind contact it is referred to as Adhi Vachana Sampassaya (name –name contact). This contact triggers a series of mind experiences (chittas) as a mind process (chitta veethi). This happens entirely automatically as a vipaka (effect) based on past kamma (habits), without the will or action by the living ‘being’, therefore without the arising of fabrications (new kamma) initially. As a result of the mind contact, there arises simultaneously in the name aggregate, feelings (vedana), perceptions (sanna), and thoughts/volitions (sankaras) related to the initial external stimulus. This also happens entirely automatically as a vipaka (effect) based on past kamma (habits), without the will or action by the living ‘being’. These manifest as sub aggregates of the name aggregate.
Thoughts that arise along with
the feelings and perceptions conditioned by past experiences, give rise to new
life experiences (sankaras). This
mind process again is entirely automatic (vipaka)
based on past traits and tendencies (past kamma)
and happens without the will of the living being, therefore without being a
cause for the arising of new kamma.
This new life experience culminates in the creation in the mind, of objects and/or beings, as recognized from past experiences. This manifests as an experience of the name aggregate, culminating in the creation of a mind-consciousness, called mano vinnanaya, also a sub aggregate of the name aggregate. These new life experiences are recognized as known beings (living persons, animal etc.) or as known objects (trees, landscapes or non-living object etc.). These mind creations (mano vinnanaya) manifest as a present moment living world, consisting of such forms, feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness- a five aggregate world- as experienced by the living being.
Step 27
Contemplating similarly on what
we know from Suthamaya Panna about
the true nature of mano vinnanna ( a
phenomenon that manifests as a feature of mind) we see that vinnanna can best be understood again as
an action which is not perceptible to our sense organs, and existing in a very
rapid sequence of arise stay and cease. This Vinnanna upon completely ceasing at the end of one life transcends
to the next life as a new Vinnanna.
This process goes on and on, from life to life. It also significantly inherits
all the traits, tendencies and habits from the ceased Vinnanna of the previous life. We then contemplate on what Dhamma teaches and come to understand
the true nature of re-linking
consciousness (pattisandi vinnana) and about its
form and function in this name
aggregate.
Step 28
In addition we review what Dhamma describes as to how the mind also
functions as a faculty supporting the arising and maintaining of these mind
based sub aggregates(skandas), thus
manifesting as the mano ayathana
(mind faculty). This mano ayathana along with the other five
faculties of the body, form the six faculties that we know as the Sala-ya-thana.
These four mind based skandas along with rupa-skanda , form the five aggregates known in Dhamma as the panchas skanda. Thus we see that this living being is a
composite of five groups of factors or aggregates. We also review what Dhamma
says that the present moment life experiences of the living being arises only
in these five aggregates.
We then advance this
investigation, by focusing our mind on what is taught in the Dhamma about the ‘being’ manifesting as a ‘self’ representing
the ‘name and form’ aggregation (nama-rupa). This is for developing the
appropriate inferential knowledge. This
deductive or inferential knowledge gained by this process is the opening to Vippassana Panna or insight wisdom.
We also saw before that due to avidyaya (not knowing) we tend to
develop some wrong views about these five aggregates, such as – these
aggregates are mine; they are me or I exist in them etc., arising from the
unwholesome roots Thanna (craving), Manna (ego), Ditti
(wrong view), resulting in a ‘Sakkaya
Ditti’, a concept of I/Me/Mine - the 'being- the arthma'. This Sakkaya
Ditti gives rise to desire, attachment and clinging, to these aggregates
based on the previous samsaric
habits. Then we see that the living being manifests as the five aggregates of
clinging (Pancha Upadana Skanda) as
referred to in Dhamma.
Step 29
When we contemplate on how the
mind experiences these diverse feelings, perceptions and volitions with mind
consciousness and how the mind relates them to past life experiences which come
alive when these arise, we see how the mind creates a present moment living
world of names and forms. We then
reflect on the teaching that this mind created world is the world of five
aggregates (panchskandda loka). We then review that this mind
created world is different from the physical world that is around us, although
the initial stimuli that gave rise to this mind created world came from this
physical world. It was created by the
mind of the living being from his/her present moment experiences. This creation
was due to past kamma giving effect.
The physical world is normally common to all beings, but the ‘five-aggregate
world’ is specific to each person and he/she lives and experiences life in that
world.
We then review and understand
what the Dhamma teaches that the consequence of this mind process is that the
mind tends to flavor the mind created ‘five-aggregate world’ in a manner that
is akin to it from past experiences and tends to experience it either as pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. The mind
then reacts in the present accordingly by word, deed and thought generating new kammas (prapanchchas) having the future potentiality to create further re-
becoming in samsara.
Step 30
With this background established
we continue this guided insight meditation practice by contemplating on what is
known in suthamaya panna as what the
body experiences. This is the form aggregate, in the ‘name-form’ aggregation as
taught in the Dhamma. We then become
aware of its present posture, and then try to become aware of feelings or
sensations of the body while being in this posture as they arise.
We then fix our attention on
breathing as this is a clear bodily sensation being experienced in the present
moment (anna panna pabbaya) and
holding attention on the breath with a concentrated mind. We review that our attention will now be focused on the
breath as it is first felt entering at the tip of the nose (or upper lip), then
note how inflow continues and then ceases and how outflow starts, stays and
ceases. This cyclical process of each breath is seen to exist by repetition. We
also note that breathing is also experienced as a regular activity happening
without interruption and therefore seen as an essential life giving (living)
process.
Step 31
With deeper contemplation using
vidarshana- insight- through a penetrative vision to see the present moment
experiences as objects of attention and dissecting them into parts, we attempt
to see their real nature. Accordingly when we treat breathing as an aramuna (object of attention), we
realize that breathing (whether in or out) creates sensations of cooling or warming at the points of contact and these sensations are in a state of constant change.
That is a breath arises, stays and ceases, followed by a new breath undergoing
the same process. We note that this nature is known in the Dhamma as viparinama or
impermanence. Thus we experience what
has been taught in Dhamma as the
state of impermanence (annitha) of
the feelings and sensations arising from the breath experienced in the form aggregate.
We also see that these sensations or feelings arising from breathing, with
its nature of impermanence (annitha), is not created by any owner who has them in
his/her command and control. Also feelings arising from breathing does not happen due the will or
determination of this owner, but happens due to other causes and conditions. We
note that this is described in Dhamma
as the non-self (annatha) nature. The 'Being' experiencing them has no active part in the process. We
also note that these feelings arising from breathing with a nature of annitha and annatha
arises, stays and ceases without the participation of ‘a’ I or Me (an owner).
As I have to limit the contents
of each Post to facilitate easy reading, I will stop the descriptions here.
Please await the next Post # 80 for a continuation of the descriptions.
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