Expert: Anandapanyo Bhikkhu - 7/26/2010

Question
QUESTION: Ven Bikku,
I do vipassana meditation and I have a question to ask.When you observe your thoughts you become aware of awareness as well. The awareness thought: Is it a mano sankara? Does it carry energy?As I heard ,this noticing ( slows down the energy that would bring future lives.How does it happen ? Is it not part of five aggrigates? I wish I could put the question in a clearer way but I find it bit difficult to find the right words.
Thank you

ANSWER: Dear Harshani,

Thank you for your question and the opportunity to answer it. I will try to answer it to the best of my ability.

The awareness thought can be considered mano sankara. Awareness is one of the Mano Sankaras, which merely means that it resides in the mind.

Does it carry energy?

It CAN carry energy, depending on how you use it...If you use in incorrectly, then it can sap energy...if you use it in proper conjunction with Sammaditthi (Right View) and Panna (Comtemplative Analysis, Wisdom, Thinking) then you can create enormous energy.

Awareness by itself is useless. Awareness with Michaditthi (Wrong Viewpoints) can be very dangerous and lead to more lives. Awareness with Sammaditthi and Panna CAN eliminate ALL future lives.

Awareness is not an aggregate, but it is most similar to Vinnanam. Vinnanam is consciousness, which is similar but not exactly awareness.

Awareness can be a powerful tool, but it is just a tool. Without the person using it...it is useless...

I hope I have answered the questions put forth. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. I would recommend that if there is a follow-up question, you give me an example of how you use your awareness or vipassana mediation. That way, I can easier point out your strengths and weaknesses.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ven Bikku,
Thank you for opening up this oppotunity for me to find answers to my questions with regard to meditation. There are few impotant once which  If you allow me i would like to ask.
This is regarding the first question I asked I'll explain how the meditation experience is.
I just sit observe whatever that is there at the moment. It could be the contemplation of the body, aggregates, dhatu thoughts , contemplation of dhamma or even meththa .While this is happening when mind become aware of awareness first it is "I" am being aware then anathma sanna  'this is just a thought" there is no "I"  as in the 20 different ways how "I" come in to being (it's the "I" flavour in the thought?)
then There is letting go of awareness, awareness of awareness, awareness of that awarenss . it doesn't continue for a long time. just get bored.Becuse it's useless there is nothing more to see . So next there will be something else the sense will thouch.
Ven sir there is no specific time for meditation if awareness is there this can happen at any moment when I'm doing anything. Even when I write this.
Even with meththa ,I'll start with spreading meththa to everyliving being and thing but when awareness comes it becomes just a thought which just pass away. Then all that feeling just dissolves. Even buddha becomes just a thought that pass away. At the begining it was saddening to let go of those beautiful feelings where I felt I'm really doing something. But they are just thoughts which just pass away . But there is so much relief in knowing the other dark thoughts are just thoughts. So the seeing continues.
Recently I made effort to see awareness more and stated analizing.When an answer cannot be found I see that as a doubltful thought and let go when oppotunity rise I ask it from somebody or it just comes (not every answer)
As I've come to realize the only thing left to do is just contemplate sometimes there is sense of I but like I explained if awarenss is on awareness then the sense of I becomes just a thought. There is no end to these thoughts it's scary it's tiring but there is relief knowing there is no I in it but just the flavour. (this was how my teacher explained)

Do these mano sankaras carry energy? to future lives. Whatever it is that's the only thing I see as be done.

There is more sir,

When I do anapanasati I find it difficult to find my breath as I feel tremors in my body they end up at the top of my spine causing my head to spin at high speed. I sought advice from many and came up with many explanations but no relief from them. This is subsiding little by little but still I find it difficult to find my breath.(I  can notice the rough breath but when it slows down I loose it because the other "discomfort" is stronger( It has become like breathing : just a normal thing)
Hence I prefer vipassana and wait for samadi to come when it comes.
Can you suggest a good method?

Thank you.

ANSWER: Dear Harshani,

There are many things that can be addressed in your question. But first let me answer your questions.

"Do these mano sankaras carry energy?"

I think you misunderstand what a mano sankhara is. Mano just means "of the mind". Sankhara just means "thing or in existence." So all mano sankhara means is that actions or activities or things of the mind.

So, does it have energy? Yes. Because your mind has energy.

Does it carry to other lives? Definitely! It will carry you to every life, every existence, every heaven, every birth and every hell. Until you reach Nibanna, you will never be devoid of this energy.

As for the Anapanasati, there are many other methods you can try. Instead of focusing on breath, you can focus on either a mantra....or a specific body part...or an image you hold in your head...or even focus on your emotions as they arise. The whole point to get centered. It doesn't have to be only about breath.

So, I would recommend you to try a mantra....ignore focusing on the breath, when you breathe in...say "Inhale"...when you breathe out...say "exhale." Whenever you find yourself forgetting this...just start over.

I would like to ask you a question of my own. Why do you practice Anapanasati? Why do you practice Vipassana? Who taught you these techniques? What do you think you can gain from these techniques? How attached are you to these techniques?

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Ven. Bikku,
"Do these mano sankaras carry energy? to future lives. Whatever it is that's the only thing I see as be done."
I'm sorry if I didnot express what I wanted to say here.After I read this again I thought ,may be I have written it to give the wrong idea.
I did not want to ask about mano sankara,kaya or wachi sankara. I Understand that  these have energy and cause birth. (dependent origination)(( There is a long explanation on how I practically experienced something to show that it  is .)
It is not what I wanted to ask.
What I wanted to know was how the awareness help in realizing the truth. Not as theory but how it really happens in practice.
Is it like this? "more you see clearly the real nature of things(anichcha,dukka, anathma) you loose the attachment to things we cling on to in ignorance ?"
Regarding the meditation tecniques, I'm a Sri Lankan therawada buddhist. These lables have been thumped into our heads  all our lives. I have a worrisome nature. Which I didnot like to have and had the tendency to repent at the slightest failure. So I read and started meditating on my own.I wanted to find a solution to my suffering. i must say I did get into trouble by trying all kinds of tecniques. then I did not have that physical discomfort . I was getting nowhere("I"m not getting anywhere now either).  Then I met a young lady who has done meditation and had the ability to describe the workings of the mind  so clearly . then i saw that I too have been looking into my mind and noticing things. This she said was vippassana. I read more dhamma and looked more into my mind under her instructions to see how things are.More I look more I see what dhamma is all about.
I wanted to do Anapanasathi to achieve one pointedness in my mind so that I can use it contempate on the nature of things.But I have avertion to that as It's stressful for me. Vippassana or looking into the nature of things makes me less and less of me it brings happiness in seeing how things are. I'm attached to it. Thank you for pointing that to me. it does not mean I'll give up I'll be aware. ajan brahms talks so much about samadi through anapanasathi, ajan Sumedo speaks so much about being aware  and accepting things as they really are.(the book Intiutive awareness) I'm attached to ajan sumedho's teachings.

I stared on the mantra. As always I have the activation energy but it dies down with time. I'll do my best not to loose it this time. When I was in SL there were lots of dhamma friends to get advice but they could not help me with the discomfort.Now i'm in australia with my family in a rural village with nobody to discuss these things. So I search in the internet.
May you achieve more and more wisdom to attain what your path holds.
Thank you for taking your precious time to read and understand my ramblings. Thank you for taking time to write to me.your words will be my teachers.
Harshani

Answer
Dear Harshani,

I applaud your desire to learn. And if you are truly willing, I have a lot to share with you. I spent many years following the great Arahant Teacher Acariya Thoon Khippapanyo. His teachings have led many people to the end of suffering. If you desire, I can share some of his teachings with you.

Before I get deep into the teachings, I would like to make sure that we are on the same page. I would like to talk to you about Buddhism in General. I find that sometimes people don't fully understand what Buddhism is and what the point of all of it is. So, please excuse me if you already know what I am about to say.

WHAT DID THE BUDDHA TEACH?

Plain and simple, the Buddha taught truths. The Buddha taught that because we cannot see or recognize the truths, we live our lives concurrently with suffering and stress. If we can both know and experience the truth of the world, we can be free from the cycle of rebirths and the suffering inherent to life.

At the Buddha’s first sermon, the Dhammacakkavatthana Suttam, the Buddha taught 3 main topics to his first five disciples. He taught:
1.   Majjhima Patipada – Middle Path
2.   Four Noble Truths
3.   Eightfold Noble Path

WHAT IS THE MIDDLE PATH?

In simple terms, the middle path basically means moderation. The Buddha taught his disciples to avoid self-indulgence in sensual pleasures and to avoid self-mortification.
Before becoming the Buddha, Prince Siddhartha experienced both extremes. As a prince, Siddhartha had all that could be given or owned; he had a palace for each season, unlimited servants, lavish foods, and access to wide variety of sensual pleasures.  Deep down inside, he knew the way to enlightenment could not be found through sensual pleasures.  Siddhartha left the palace and searched for a holy life. At one point, Siddhartha endured torture of the body in the search for enlightenment. He allowed himself to become emaciated to the point where his bones could be seen through his skin. He meditated all day and all night. Within Siddhartha’s mind, he realized that if he were to continue down this road, the ultimate goal would be death. With death, he would merely be reborn without being any closer to enlightenment.
At this point, wisdom and discernment arose in Siddhartha’s mind and he understood deeply within his soul that enlightenment can only be gained through the middle path, neither through sensual pleasures nor self-mortification.
For us, we can easily see when we have strayed off the middle path. When we eat, we know when we are full. If we were to continue eating, we would not be following the middle path. If we were to not eat enough, we would know inherently that we were still hungry, and thus, we are not on the middle path.

WHAT ARE THE FOUR NOBLE TRUTHS?

The Buddha discovered the Four Noble Truths which are:
1.   Life is suffering
2.   Suffering has a cause which is known to the Buddha
3.   Suffering will end when its cause ends
4.   The Buddha has told the path to the end of suffering

WHAT IS THE NOBLE EIGHTFOLD PATH?

The Fourth Noble Truth is that there is a path, that once followed, will lead to the cessation of suffering. That path is called the Noble Eightfold Path. In addition, the Noble Eightfold Path is the way to follow the Middle Way.

The Noble Eightfold Path:
1.   Right Perception, Right View
2.   Right Thought
3.   Right Speech
4.   Right Action
5.   Right Livelihood
6.   Right Effort
7.   Right Focus
8.   Right Concentration

The Noble Eightfold Path starts off with Right Perception.  All of our thoughts, actions and speech stem from our perceptions.  If our perceptions were wrong, then our thoughts, speech, and action have absolutely no chance of being right. If our perceptions are right, then we will think, speak and act correctly. Therefore, having the right perception or right view is critical to thinking, speaking, acting and living correctly.

If we have the right perceptions, then we can generate right thoughts. These right thoughts will help us have right speech and right action. With right speech and right action, we will be able to generate and maintain a right livelihood. If we think, speak, act and live right, we will put in right effort.  While exerting right effort, we will be rightly focused.  Once we are rightly focused we will be able to have right concentration. Right concentration is often understood to be meditation.

Many people hold the perception that being rich can solve our problems. This is a wrong perception. This perception will lead that person to think of ways to get rich. When they speak, their words will represent their greed, their desire and their viewpoints that wealth can solve problems. They will say things such as, “We can spend time together once we are rich” or “Once we are rich, everything will get better” or “I only want to hang out with rich people, sorry.” These are wrong speech.  This type of speech either harms yourself and/or others. Based on your wrong perceptions and wrong thoughts, you will commit wrong actions. You will be willing to do things to get you ahead at the cost of hurting others, you will be willing to put money ahead of your family’s feelings, or you will be willing to steal or cheat. These are wrong actions since they can hurt both you and others. If you have this as a perception, then you will be willing to have a wrong livelihood. You will live your life for money and be willing to take jobs that are ethically and morally wrong. For example, such livelihoods as prostitutes, drug dealers, bandits, criminals and/or selling humans or animals. These livelihoods hurt both you and others. If you have these perceptions, you will put forth effort, focus and concentration in accomplishing your goal. However, this goal will not solve your problems and will in fact cause you more suffering. Therefore, this is wrong effort, focus and concentration.  As you can clearly see, this all started with the wrong perception.

There are many other wrong perceptions held by all living beings. It is our job, and the purpose of our lives to seek out these wrong perceptions and recalibrate them with the truth in order to hold right perceptions.

All living beings are born due to our wrong perceptions. We suffer due to our wrong perceptions. We hurt others and create bad karma based on our wrong perceptions. We try to fix our problems with techniques based on wrong perceptions; that is why we can never completely fix our problems.

In order to solve our problems, stop hurting others and live harmoniously with others and within ourselves, we must fix our wrong perceptions. Once we have realigned our wrong perceptions with the truth, we will experience true freedom, true tranquility and true happiness.


HOW CAN I KNOW WHETHER MY PERCEPTION IS A RIGHT VIEW OR A WRONG VIEW?

The Buddha proved up with special tool – the truth. There are three types of truths:
1.   Individual truths –Truths that are held by individuals. These are truths such as – I am always right. I am the victim. I own this or that. Or any statement that begins with “I believe…”
2.   Democratic Truths – Truths that are held by the majority. These truths include – Certain drugs/substances are allowed, certain are banned. Laws. Courts can decide our fates. Taxes are fair. As long as the majority agrees, it is considered a truth. However, not all democratic truths are held by all. In fact, the term majority implies the existence of a minority. If the majority it right, then by definition, the minority must be wrong.
3.   Universal Truth – Truths that are held by all living beings. These truths include – all being love their own lives. No being wants to be deprived of what they have. All things change. All life must eventually die. These truths are known by all living beings.
If our perception is based on an individual truth or a democratic truth, there is a chance that they might be wrong. For example, individuals have believed themselves to be right, even after they have committed a crime. In this case, the individual holds individual truths, but is being punished by democratic truths. In this case, who is right, who is wrong?

To know this, we must be able to determine what a universal truth is, and what isn’t. The Buddha gave us another tool to use for this:
1.   Dukkha
2.   Annicam
3.   Anatta

Dukkha is the Pali word for suffering or stress. Dukkha is the result of our wrong perception which has manifested itself in thoughts, speech, and/or actions. In this, Dukkha is like a sensor. Once it goes off, we are alerted that we are holding a wrong perception. Dukkha is like the pain we feel in our bodies. The pain receptors we have are there to alert us that something is wrong and steps should be taken to alleviate the pain.

Annicam is the tool to alleviate the pain. Annicam is defined as impermanence. Annicam can also be interpreted as change, nothing stays the same, and everything comes in pairs. The Buddha taught that everything in this world is subject to Dukkham, Annicam, and Anatta. Therefore, we are suffering since we do not see the Annicam nature of our perceptions. For example, if we are upset our loved one’s personality has changed, this is because we expected their personality not to change. Our expectation for something to always stay the same is contrary to Annicam. We are refusing to allow something to go the way it is meant to. Everyone changes, therefore, our expectation that it should not,  will only be met with suffering, stress and disappointment.

Anatta is the result of understanding Annicam.  Anatta is the cessation of being in a supposed form. Once a seed has been planted and it sprouts into a young tree, that seed is considered to be Anatta. Once the young tree becomes an old tree, the young tree is considered to be Anatta. All that is in the world can only exist for a finite period of time. Therefore, our “self” cannot be in these temporary things. Many Buddhism try to practice and contemplate Anatta (in the form of nothingness). Acāriya Thoon taught Anatta should not be contemplated. It will be understood only through the cultivation and understanding Annicam. This is the same as if someone who has not eaten but was contemplating the concept of fullness. Through that contemplation, they will never arrive at fullness. However, through eating (understanding Annicam) they will arrive at fullness on their own. Just as fullness is the end result of eating, just so, Anatta is the end result of Annicam. In this case, Dukkham would be the hunger that alerts us that we should eat.

Whichever of our perceptions lead to Dukkha, this is not a truth. Whichever of our perceptions are contrary to Annicam, this is not a truth. Whichever of our perceptions are contrary to Anatta, this is not a truth.

WHAT IS MEANT BY SUFFERING?

Suffering is simply any feeling or state that if you had a choice, you would rather not experience. This includes depression, stress, anger, lust, envy, jealously, annoyance, coughing, weariness, hunger, loneliness, and boredom ….the list can go on practically forever.
Suffering is the whole spectrum of undesirable states.

Please let me know if you understand all of this or if you have any questions, if not, we can move on to the next step.

Sincerely,

Phra Anandapanyo