Meditation Sequence (2)

Even if a pleasant, happy mental state arises within you, if you delight in it and enjoy it, craving (tanha), clinging (upādāna), and kamma formations will follow. To prevent these future causes from arising, when a happy, pleasant mental state arises, you must observe its arising and passing away. If it does not arise in this way, samsāra ceases. This is the cessation of the Truth of the Origin of Suffering (Samudaya Sacca). Consequently, the Truth of Suffering (Dukkha Sacca) – birth, aging, and death, which arise only when this process occurs – will no longer manifest. This practice cuts off these two Truths: the Truth of the Origin and the Truth of Suffering. Craving, clinging, and kamma are the Truth of the Origin (Samudaya Sacca). The resulting birth, aging, and death are the Truth of Suffering (Dukkha Sacca). If you do not observe what is presently arising, the subsequent result will be the Truth of Suffering: birth, aging, and death. If you do not observe what has arisen now, craving, clinging, and kamma will come – that is the Truth of the Origin (the three causes of suffering). After death, birth, aging, and death will come – that is the Truth of Suffering (the three results of suffering). Thus, for one who does not practice Vipassana, only the Origin and Suffering arise; the three causes and three results merely revolve. For the Vipassana practitioner, these two Truths are severed. The cause ceases, so the effect no longer arises. Now, combining the six types of mental states previously mentioned, we have six full mental states. Consider these six as "guest minds from outside." There are five "internal guest minds." Among these, greed (lobha) arises most frequently. Even if a slight greed arises, observe its arising and passing away. Then greed ceases as greed. When craving ceases, clinging, kamma, and future causes also cease. When future causes cease, future effects cannot arise. If a slight angry mind (dosa) arises due to some reason, focus intently on that angry mind and observe its arising and passing away. By focusing and observing, the anger transforms into mere arising and passing away – it ceases to be anger. The observation is the Path (Magga). Observing like this, subsequent lamentation (parideva) also ceases. The ignorance and formations (avijjā-sańkhāra) leading to future birth do not arise. Sentient beings drift in the waters of craving as kamma casts them. They act according to craving's command. Kamma casts them into the waters of craving. Once cast, they drift helplessly, tossed east and west. Why do they move about, act, and strive? Because of desire. They go east and west because of wanting and longing. They travel incessantly by car, by plane – all because of wanting and longing. Oh, they drift in the waters of craving! Cast by kamma, they drift in craving's waters. Craving is the flood of sensual desire (Kāmogha). 'Flood' (ogha) means a whirlpool. The waters of craving churn endlessly; ultimately, one drowns. They drown in the flood of sensual desire, the whirlpool of craving. A person drifting in craving's waters at the moment of death, or one who dies while engaged in worldly activities, is certain to drown. While alive, the person drifts; at death, they drown. The only Dhamma that can save from this peril of drifting and drowning is this Vipassana Path. Cast by kamma, beings enter lives where they must work and struggle to survive. They whirl in craving's waters. If they merely drift along with the current, they will drown. Therefore, the Dhamma that saves and rescues is the Path (Magga) you cultivate. The Five Path Factors or Eightfold Path is the Dhamma that will save you. The Path does not allow you to re-enter this great whirlpool. It does not allow craving entry. It prevents you from whirling in the flood. At death, it forbids drowning; it obstructs it. Therefore, understand that the true refuge is the Path Factors (Magga). So, when anger arises, observe arising-passing away. When doubt (vicikicchā) arises about the Buddha, Dhamma, or Sangha – questioning "Is this truly so?" – observe arising-passing away. If you do not observe it, doubt is ignorance (avijjā). Then, "With ignorance as condition, formations arise; with formations as condition, consciousness arises..." – you cross over to the next life. Therefore, when doubt or delusion (moha) arises, observe arising-passing away. When a wandering thought arises, see it as impermanent and observe its arising-passing away. When a mind free from greed (alobha) – a mind of non-desire – arises, do not stop at mere non-desire. Observe arising-passing away. When a loving-kindness (mettā) mind, free from anger (adosa), arises, observe arising-passing away. You must observe whatever mind arises in your own continuum as arising and passing away. If no mind arises, understand that there is the "life-sustaining mind" (bhavańga citta). The mind that expels the breath and the mind that draws in the breath – these two minds are the "life-sustaining mind" or the "resident mind." When the mind expelling the breath arises, focus on that expelling mind and observe: "The expelling mind has arisen, hence the breath goes out." Focus on it and observe arising-passing away. By observing, the expelling mind is seen as arising-passing away; the observation is the Path. When the in-breath mind arises again, do not leave it unattended. Observe arising-passing away. The in-breath mind is arising-passing away; the observation is the Path. Thus, dependent origination ceases. So, observe all arisen mental states in your continuum as arising and passing away. All minds are impermanent phenomena, mere arising and passing away. By knowing them as impermanent phenomena, the view of permanence (nicca-ditthi) is abandoned. When permanence-view is abandoned, self-view (atta-ditthi) is also abandoned. "I" and "mine" no longer appear. If these views of permanence and self are utterly uprooted, one becomes a Stream-enterer (sotāpanna). To become a Stream-enterer, first remove wrong view (ditthi). When the clinging to views in the mind is removed, one can become a Stream-enterer. Therefore, to quickly attain Stream-entry, remove wrong view; you must practice Contemplation of Mind (cittānupassanā). Venerable Sāriputta taught that discerning others' minds is extremely difficult. He instructed: "Discern your own mind." Discerning others' minds accurately is not easy. Therefore, discern your own mind. Contemplation of Mind (cittānupassanā) means discerning your own mind. When you discern your own mind, you cannot be mistaken. If a desiring mind arises, discern whether that desiring mind exists or not. By discerning, you will find it does not exist. Its non-existence is impermanence (anicca); the discerning is the Path (Magga). If a mind wanting to eat, a hungry mind, arises, discern that very mind. Will it appear as existing or non-existing? Finding it non-existing, its non-existence is impermanence; the discerning is the Path. What is discerned is impermanence; the discerning wisdom is the Path. The originally arisen mind is the preceding mind; the discerning is the subsequent mind. Two minds cannot arise simultaneously; one mind must cease before the next arises. The preceding one is mind, and the subsequent discerning wisdom is also mind. However, one ceases before the other arises. Thus, the preceding mind is impermanent; the subsequent mind is the Path. Discern the preceding mind with the subsequent mind. If the preceding mind is (1), the subsequent mind is (2). Then, discern (1) with (2). I repeat this for clarity. Dr. Ashin Parami