Meditation

Atṭhika saññā bhāvanā is the contemplation on the parts of a skeleton. By practicing atṭhika saññā frequently, one may advance the meditation for the cessation of defilements. One develops passion, hatred, and delusion because of the unrestrained eye, which is attracted to the details of forms seen. The eye can be disciplined by practicing atṭhika saññā, which avoids the eye attracting to details of forms. In ancient Sri Lanka, a Buddhist monk named Tissa was travelling on foot from Mihintale, a small town, to Anuradhapura, a big city, to venerate the Sri Mahā Bodhi tree, which was a sapling of the [...]

14.1 Buddhanussati Meditation In the following sections, we will explain the recollection meditations or Anussati bhāvanā. Anussati bhāvanā is practiced on several themes. The themes are Buddhānussati bhāvanā or meditation on the qualities of the Buddha; Dhammanussati bhāvanā or meditation on the qualities of the Dhamma; Sanghānussati bhāvanā or meditation on the qualities of community of Noble Monks; Seelanussati bhāvanā or meditation on one’s own virtue; Chaganussati bhāvanā or meditation on one’s own generosity; Devatanussati bhāvanā or meditation on heavenly beings, and Marananussati or meditation on death. In the following sections, we will discuss each of these meditation techniques in detail. [...]

In this chapter, you will learn the last section of dhammānupassanā or the mindfulness of the way things are in the Satipatṭhāna sutta as taught by the Buddha. This comprises the seven factors of enlightenment, the satta bojhjaṁgas. Bojjhaṁgas are the factors that aid to comprehend the Four Noble Truths. There are seven of these: “Sati” or mindfulness “Dhammavicya” or investigation of the way things are “Viriya” or effort “Pīti” or rapture “Passaddhi” or tranquility “Samādhi” or concentration “Upekkhā” or equanimity All these can be cultivated within you through cultivation of the Four Establishments of Mindfulness. It is only through the [...]

Now you have learned many techniques of developing mindfulness. In the previous chapters, you learned how to develop (1) mindfulness of breathing meditation, (2) mindfulness of actions meditations, (3) mindfulness of postures meditations, (4) meditation on the impurities of body, (5) meditation on the four great elements, (6 -14) meditation on the nine stages of the deterioration of a dead body. These fourteen methods are kāyānupassanā or mindfulness of the body within the four establishments of mindfulness. In the method for vedanānupassanā or mindfulness of feeling within the four establishments of mindfulness, you learned about the nine categories of feelings. In [...]

By now, you know lots of details about the Dhamma that the Buddha taught us. It is from the Dhamma that one can learn how to conduct one’s life to establish mindfulness. Any wise person can understand that the inner life is something that needs to be purified. The Dhamma can be used to help purify that inner life. One who has that realization will be able to do it. This is why we need to establish our mindfulness. For that, we have learned the kāyānupassanā-contemplation of body meditation and vedanānupassanā-contemplation of feeling meditation to this point. There is also something [...]