You have acquired some knowledge about the Aanāpānasati up to this point. That knowledge is obtained from the Supreme Buddha’s Dhamma. Therefore, if you are practicing the meditation, I think you will build some respect for the Buddha, without any effort, from deep in your heart. In fact, that is what helps you to cultivate this Dhamma.
You are going to learn a new type of meditation now. This meditation is called Sampajaññya. The Supreme Buddha introduced us a word as ‘Sampajānakārii Hōtii’. It implies to live in awareness.
Awareness of remarkable characteristics…
Why does one need to live in awareness? It is to prevent demerits from entering into your mind and have it established on merits. We normally understand demerits here as the five hindrances (pancha niivaranha). Generally, someone who meditates is not a bad person; most of the times, he/she is a good person. So, this person should have identified what these hindrances are when he is cultivating his meditation mentally.
Identify the five hindrances…
We learnt a word as Pancha Niivarana for the demerits that hind meditation (mental development). Kāmachchanda, Vyāpāda, Thiinamiddha, Uddachcha Kukkuchcha, and Vichikichchā are the five hindrances (Pancha Niivarana). Kāmachchanda means mind’s attraction towards objects, sounds, smells, tastes, and contacts by liking them. Vyāpāda is mind’s state of being conflicted about opposing objectives. Laziness, impotent, sleepiness, and mental withdrawal are the Thiinamiddha. Uddachcha Kukkuchcha is regret and mental dispersion. Doubt about this process is the Vichikichchā. When these are present, one will lose the need to follow this process continuously.
Be mindful…
These things always affect our day-to-day lives. But, the person who likes to develop the meditation and cultivate the mindfulness should live with an attentive wisdom. That’s what the Buddha meant by ‘to be mindful when you are moving forward and moving backward, so that hindrances will not occur in you.’ You need to be mindful when you are looking around; you need to protect your mind without letting hindrances to come in to your mind when looking around, without letting Kāmachchanda to take over your mind, without letting hatred to overcome your mind, and without letting regret, doubt to overcome your mind when you are looking around. This is called ‘ālōkitē vilōkitē sampajānakārii hōtii.’
The Supreme Buddha preached that one will stay mindfully when he moves his arms or legs. He folds his arms and legs in and out mindfully. He will be mindful about conducting arms and legs. He stays in a good mindfulness thinking that there is a possibility for the hindrances to overcome his mind at any time.
If something has to be done, it should be done mindfully indeed…
The Buddha next preached that one needs to know the meaning of wearing clothes; ‘sanghātipaththa chiivara dhāranhē’ that is when robes and etc. are being worn, its meaning (why clothes are worn) has to be known. ‘Being mindful’ is what it is called. Meaning of wearing a cloth is to cover one’s body, to prevent from coming harm from flies and mosquitoes, and to protect from cold and heat. Likewise, clothing provides some protection to your body from natural things. This is the concept of clothing. Mindfulness has to be on that when clothes are being worn.
Your mindfulness when eating and drinking…
Next thing is the time you eat and drink. The Supreme Buddha has described taking food and drinks in a beautiful manner. We call that ‘Pratthyavekshā’ (contemplation). It means that something is being contemplated again and again. The Supreme Buddha preached that the person who searches for the Dhamma doesn’t bother about food. He does not crave for foods. He only takes food to ease pain in this body in the process of attempting to realize life. The Buddha clearly explains this as, ‘this food is not for power, strength, to build muscles, or to make this body beautiful. This body suffers from hunger. This food is taken only to relieve that pain and to practice meditation without further pain from it.’ He further told us to remind ourselves that this food is taken to live this body.
The Supreme Buddha especially showed this point for us to maintain this mind and to make the mind tranquil.
Be mindful even when you are going to toilet…
The Supreme Buddha next preached that the meditator will be mindful even when he is going to toilet. So, we can understand that this life relates to each and every posture (movement) we make. It is possible for this mind to go off course and get attracted to defilements even when you are in a toilet, and that is why the Buddha preached us to be mindful even inside a toilet.
When you are sleeping or not sleeping…
The Supreme Buddha preached us to be mindful when we are walking, standing up, sitting down, staying awaked (Jāgarite), and when we are not sleeping. This means you need to be vigilant to not to let five hindrances to get into your mind. By establishing a good mindfulness in this manner, you will get a good protection in your life.
Let’s stay in the Supreme Buddha’s company…
The Supreme Buddha preached a nice fable about mindfulness. It is found in the Sakunhaggii Sutta. It says that a small bird (Kata Kirilli) was also flying in the sky when a vulture was flying in the sky. This vulture caught that small bird. Then, the small bird started to scream.
“Oh! This happened to me because I tried to fly in the sky. I have a place that I inherited from my father. You will never be able to catch me if I stayed there.” The vulture wondered what this small bird is talking about. “What is the place you inherited from your father?”
Our father’s inheritance…
So, that small bird said, “my place that I inherited from my father is in a cave-like small part under the bottom part of a clod. That is the place I inherited from my father.”
For the vulture, it was an amusing talk. The vulture didn’t care about the small bird’s words and said, “Hey bird, I am going to let you go now. If you are saying with dignity that you inherited a place that’s safe, then go and hide under that clod if you can. I will drag you.”
This small bird flew away on to a clod in the field and said, “Hey vulture, come now.”
The vulture prepared its wings well and came down fast straight like an arrow towards that bird. The small bird immediately went under the clod. When the bird went under the clod, the vulture couldn’t catch the bird and instead it hits its chest on the clod and hurt.
That was one of the Buddha’s examples. What He showed us from that example was that a life without mindfulness will be overtaken by outside objectives and get destroyed. Having mindfulness is the father’s inheritance. The Supreme Buddha preached as follows: “Dear Bhikkhus, Tāthagata is your father. Tāthagata Buddha’s inheritance you get is the establishing of your mindfulness on the Satara Satipatthāna.”
The Swakkhāta Dhamma doesn’t have fruitless characteristics…
See that the Supreme Buddha has taught us everything that should be preached. In fact, results cannot be seen because the Dhamma is not being practiced, but there is no fruitless Dhamma here. Fruitless means, there are no results. The Dhamma doesn’t have that character. The Dhamma that we are following has the character and the ability of producing results well. It produces results when it is practiced.
In order to be mindful at every moment…
So, with a well-focused mind in the Satisampajaññya, he will stay mindful without letting the hindrances to take over his mind when he is looking around, moving his arms and legs, walking forward and walking backward, wearing clothes, and eating. There has to be something for him to focus his mindfulness. Since the postures have the nature of becoming impermanent, he will be able to be mindful on that impermanent nature.
Peculiar meditations… Peculiar establishments of mindfulness…
Some people think that “when you are doing some work, think about that work” is what meant here. But there’s no such description in the Buddha’s Dhamma. Let’s say someone is preparing something to eat by cutting vegetables. Let’s say that person thinks like this, “vegetables… vegetables… vegetables… cutting… cutting… cutting…,” while he’s cutting it. This kind of thinking doesn’t help improving a person’s wisdom. Thinking about something similar when one is cooking will not help to improve that person’s wisdom or cultivate the mindfulness.
Wisdom is indeed the support…
It describes like this: one would have wisdom if he/she contemplates impermanence well and be mindful to prevent the hindrances that could overcome his/her mind. Likewise, wisdom, mindfulness, effort to suppress/eradicate demerits, and everything else will exist.
— By Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero.
http://english.mahamevnawa.lk/2012/06/17/03-satisampajannya-awareness-meditation-in-satara-satipatthana/#Living-in
You are going to learn a new type of meditation now. This meditation is called Sampajaññya. The Supreme Buddha introduced us a word as ‘Sampajānakārii Hōtii’. It implies to live in awareness.
Awareness of remarkable characteristics…
Why does one need to live in awareness? It is to prevent demerits from entering into your mind and have it established on merits. We normally understand demerits here as the five hindrances (pancha niivaranha). Generally, someone who meditates is not a bad person; most of the times, he/she is a good person. So, this person should have identified what these hindrances are when he is cultivating his meditation mentally.
Identify the five hindrances…
We learnt a word as Pancha Niivarana for the demerits that hind meditation (mental development). Kāmachchanda, Vyāpāda, Thiinamiddha, Uddachcha Kukkuchcha, and Vichikichchā are the five hindrances (Pancha Niivarana). Kāmachchanda means mind’s attraction towards objects, sounds, smells, tastes, and contacts by liking them. Vyāpāda is mind’s state of being conflicted about opposing objectives. Laziness, impotent, sleepiness, and mental withdrawal are the Thiinamiddha. Uddachcha Kukkuchcha is regret and mental dispersion. Doubt about this process is the Vichikichchā. When these are present, one will lose the need to follow this process continuously.
Be mindful…
These things always affect our day-to-day lives. But, the person who likes to develop the meditation and cultivate the mindfulness should live with an attentive wisdom. That’s what the Buddha meant by ‘to be mindful when you are moving forward and moving backward, so that hindrances will not occur in you.’ You need to be mindful when you are looking around; you need to protect your mind without letting hindrances to come in to your mind when looking around, without letting Kāmachchanda to take over your mind, without letting hatred to overcome your mind, and without letting regret, doubt to overcome your mind when you are looking around. This is called ‘ālōkitē vilōkitē sampajānakārii hōtii.’
The Supreme Buddha preached that one will stay mindfully when he moves his arms or legs. He folds his arms and legs in and out mindfully. He will be mindful about conducting arms and legs. He stays in a good mindfulness thinking that there is a possibility for the hindrances to overcome his mind at any time.
If something has to be done, it should be done mindfully indeed…
The Buddha next preached that one needs to know the meaning of wearing clothes; ‘sanghātipaththa chiivara dhāranhē’ that is when robes and etc. are being worn, its meaning (why clothes are worn) has to be known. ‘Being mindful’ is what it is called. Meaning of wearing a cloth is to cover one’s body, to prevent from coming harm from flies and mosquitoes, and to protect from cold and heat. Likewise, clothing provides some protection to your body from natural things. This is the concept of clothing. Mindfulness has to be on that when clothes are being worn.
Your mindfulness when eating and drinking…
Next thing is the time you eat and drink. The Supreme Buddha has described taking food and drinks in a beautiful manner. We call that ‘Pratthyavekshā’ (contemplation). It means that something is being contemplated again and again. The Supreme Buddha preached that the person who searches for the Dhamma doesn’t bother about food. He does not crave for foods. He only takes food to ease pain in this body in the process of attempting to realize life. The Buddha clearly explains this as, ‘this food is not for power, strength, to build muscles, or to make this body beautiful. This body suffers from hunger. This food is taken only to relieve that pain and to practice meditation without further pain from it.’ He further told us to remind ourselves that this food is taken to live this body.
The Supreme Buddha especially showed this point for us to maintain this mind and to make the mind tranquil.
Be mindful even when you are going to toilet…
The Supreme Buddha next preached that the meditator will be mindful even when he is going to toilet. So, we can understand that this life relates to each and every posture (movement) we make. It is possible for this mind to go off course and get attracted to defilements even when you are in a toilet, and that is why the Buddha preached us to be mindful even inside a toilet.
When you are sleeping or not sleeping…
The Supreme Buddha preached us to be mindful when we are walking, standing up, sitting down, staying awaked (Jāgarite), and when we are not sleeping. This means you need to be vigilant to not to let five hindrances to get into your mind. By establishing a good mindfulness in this manner, you will get a good protection in your life.
Let’s stay in the Supreme Buddha’s company…
The Supreme Buddha preached a nice fable about mindfulness. It is found in the Sakunhaggii Sutta. It says that a small bird (Kata Kirilli) was also flying in the sky when a vulture was flying in the sky. This vulture caught that small bird. Then, the small bird started to scream.
“Oh! This happened to me because I tried to fly in the sky. I have a place that I inherited from my father. You will never be able to catch me if I stayed there.” The vulture wondered what this small bird is talking about. “What is the place you inherited from your father?”
Our father’s inheritance…
So, that small bird said, “my place that I inherited from my father is in a cave-like small part under the bottom part of a clod. That is the place I inherited from my father.”
For the vulture, it was an amusing talk. The vulture didn’t care about the small bird’s words and said, “Hey bird, I am going to let you go now. If you are saying with dignity that you inherited a place that’s safe, then go and hide under that clod if you can. I will drag you.”
This small bird flew away on to a clod in the field and said, “Hey vulture, come now.”
The vulture prepared its wings well and came down fast straight like an arrow towards that bird. The small bird immediately went under the clod. When the bird went under the clod, the vulture couldn’t catch the bird and instead it hits its chest on the clod and hurt.
That was one of the Buddha’s examples. What He showed us from that example was that a life without mindfulness will be overtaken by outside objectives and get destroyed. Having mindfulness is the father’s inheritance. The Supreme Buddha preached as follows: “Dear Bhikkhus, Tāthagata is your father. Tāthagata Buddha’s inheritance you get is the establishing of your mindfulness on the Satara Satipatthāna.”
The Swakkhāta Dhamma doesn’t have fruitless characteristics…
See that the Supreme Buddha has taught us everything that should be preached. In fact, results cannot be seen because the Dhamma is not being practiced, but there is no fruitless Dhamma here. Fruitless means, there are no results. The Dhamma doesn’t have that character. The Dhamma that we are following has the character and the ability of producing results well. It produces results when it is practiced.
In order to be mindful at every moment…
So, with a well-focused mind in the Satisampajaññya, he will stay mindful without letting the hindrances to take over his mind when he is looking around, moving his arms and legs, walking forward and walking backward, wearing clothes, and eating. There has to be something for him to focus his mindfulness. Since the postures have the nature of becoming impermanent, he will be able to be mindful on that impermanent nature.
Peculiar meditations… Peculiar establishments of mindfulness…
Some people think that “when you are doing some work, think about that work” is what meant here. But there’s no such description in the Buddha’s Dhamma. Let’s say someone is preparing something to eat by cutting vegetables. Let’s say that person thinks like this, “vegetables… vegetables… vegetables… cutting… cutting… cutting…,” while he’s cutting it. This kind of thinking doesn’t help improving a person’s wisdom. Thinking about something similar when one is cooking will not help to improve that person’s wisdom or cultivate the mindfulness.
Wisdom is indeed the support…
It describes like this: one would have wisdom if he/she contemplates impermanence well and be mindful to prevent the hindrances that could overcome his/her mind. Likewise, wisdom, mindfulness, effort to suppress/eradicate demerits, and everything else will exist.
— By Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thero.
http://english.mahamevnawa.lk/2012/06/17/03-satisampajannya-awareness-meditation-in-satara-satipatthana/#Living-in
