Letter to a friend

Sorry it took me a while to respond to your email. I’m not familiar with Turiya state so I can’t comment on it. However, since the class reached that state through guided meditation then I would suspect it is achieved through the power of suggestion.

I’m skeptical of any meditation that is not observing the reality of the present as is, whether one is experiencing a pleasant or an unpleasant mental state, with full acceptance. True happiness and compassion arise from experiencing suffering and letting it go since everything is impermanent; thus in essence there is no self as it is also impermanent and subject to change.

Suffering is caused by the attachment to anything at all. Since all things are impermanent, therefore attachment to anything at all will lead to suffering. For example, a rose is beautiful and fragrant while in full bloom, yet it will not last and the attachment to that state in its development will lead to suffering. The greater the attachment, the greater the suffering.

Trying to reach a Turiya state for its blissful effect will hinder one’s progress in meditation. The goal of meditation is to move beyond suffering, which is not the same as trying to experience bliss. One can take drugs to feel good but it doesn’t lead to greater wisdom and compassion, only more suffering.

Sincerely,

Tuan Tran

Mindfulness of Breathing
By Pa Auk Sayadaw

Ānāpānasati
(An Introduction)

Today we should like to give you some basic instructions on how to develop concentration with ānāpānasati (mindfulness-of-breathing).

There are two kinds of meditation: Samatha and Vipassanā. Samatha is the development of concentration, and Vipassanā is the development of wisdom. Samatha is a very important foundation for Vipassanā. In the Khandha Sa§yuttaand Sacca Sa§yutta, The Buddha says:

Samādhi§, bhikkhave, bhāvetha.
Samāhito, bhikkhave, bhikkhu yathābhuta§ pajānāti.
(Bhikkhus, cultivate concentration. With concentration, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu understands things as they really are.)

This is why beginners are greatly encouraged to practise first Samatha, so as to develop deep and powerful concentration. Then can they practise Vipassanā, to see the true nature of things.

There are forty Samatha meditation subjects, but we usually teach beginners ānāpānasati (mindfulness of breathing), because most yogis succeed with that method.

In the Sa§yutta Nikāya, the Buddha praises ānāpānasati:

Bhikkhus, this concentration through mindfulness of breathing,
when developed and practised much, is both peaceful and sublime.
It is an unadulterated blissful abiding, and it banishes and stills
evil unwholesome thoughts as soon as they arise.

The Visuddhimaggasays also:

Mindfulness-of-breathing as a meditation subject is foremost among the various meditation subjects of all Buddhas, [some]Pacceka Buddhas, and [some]Buddhas’ disciples as a basis for attaining distinction and abiding in bliss here and now.

So you should have strong faith in this meditation subject, and practise it with great respect.

Now we should like to give you some basic steps on how to practise ānāpānasati.

Step One
Sit upright. You may choose any sitting posture you like. If you find it difficult, you do not need to sit cross-legged. You may also sit with both legs side by side on the floor (neither pressing the other). Sitting on a cushion of a suitable thickness helps you feel comfortable, and allows you easily to straighten your upper body.

Then relax your body part by part, from head to foot. Make sure there is no tension in any part of your body. If there is tension, try to release it, and remain relaxed and natural. Otherwise, the tension will eventually cause discomfort and pain. So be sure to relax your whole body every time you start your sitting meditation.

Step Two
Put aside all thoughts, including all worries and plans. You should reflect on the fact that all conditioned things are impermanent. They will not follow your wishes but will follow only their own courses. It is useless to try to grasp them. It is useful to put them aside while you are meditating.

Whenever you get entangled in thoughts, you should remind yourself that now is not the time for you to worry; now is the time for you to keep your mind on only the object of meditation: the breath. If you happen to remember something very important, and think you must remember it or think it over, do not do so when you are meditating. If necessary, you can write the important thing down in a notebook that you keep beside you, and then not think about it as long as you are meditating.

If you really want to succeed in ānāpānasati, you have to put aside all other objects. Some yogis want to develop concentration, yet cannot give up their attachment for many worldly things. As a result, their mind becomes restless, always wandering between the breath and worldly objects. Even though they try hard to calm their mind, they fail: only because they are unable to give up their attachment for other objects. Such attachment is a great obstacle to one’s progress in meditation. So it is very important that you make a strong resolution to stop all other thoughts while you are meditating.

Step Three
Become familiar with the breath through practice. After you have relaxed your body, and have resolved to stop all other thoughts, you should place your mind on the area where your in-&out breaths touch your skin: the touching point. It is the area around your nostrils and the top of the upper lip. Try to feel the breath in one of those two places. Then keep your mind with the breath, and be aware of it all the time. You should try to know the natural breath objectively, as if you are an onlooker. Do not control or interfere with the natural breathing: just know it as it is. If you control your breathing, you may feel discomfort in your chest.

One important thing is that you be aware of only the breath at the touching point you have chosen, that you do not follow the breath into or out of your body. If you follow the breath in and out, you will not be able to perfect your concentration.

To explain this, the Visuddhimagga gives a simile: the simile of the gate-keeper. A gate-keeper does not pay attention to people who have already gone inside or outside the town: he pays attention only to people who arrive at the gate. In the same way, the breaths that have gone inside and outside are not the yogi’s concern. His concern is only the breaths that arrive at the touching point (the gate).

Another important thing is that you should not concentrate on the characteristics of the four elements in your breath. You should not concentrate on the characteristics of the earth-element in your breath (hardness, roughness, heaviness, softness, smoothness or lightness), nor on the characteristics of the water element (flowing and cohesion), nor on the characteristics of the fire element (heat and cold), nor on the characteristics of the wind-element in your breath (pushing and supporting).

If you concentrate on any of those characteristics, the others will also become more and more obvious in your body, and that will disturb your concentration. What you should do is only to know the breath. You should know the breath as a general concept.

Sometimes a yogi may find it difficult to perceive the breath. This is not because he is no longer breathing: it is because the breath is subtle, and he is not yet familiar with it. Hence, he should just keep his mind on the touching point with a cool and alert mind. When it becomes difficult for him to perceive the breath, he needs do no more than know that he is still breathing. Then, with patience and mindfulness, he will gradually be able to know the subtle breath. If he tries again and again, he will get used to concentrating on it. That will be very helpful for him to develop deep concentration.

While trying to become familiar with the breath, you should follow the middle way: you should put forth just the right amount of effort. Do not put forth too much effort, because you may then have trouble such as tension, headache and strain of the eyes. Then again, do not put forth too little effort either, because you may then get lost in daydreams or fall asleep. So it is good to make sure that your effort is just sufficient for you always to know the breath.

Whenever thoughts occur in your mind, just ignore them and bring your mind back to the breath. It is useless to get angry at the thoughts or at yourself. You should accept that the occurrence of thoughts in the mind is a natural thing, and should not get entangled in them. By ignoring the thoughts, you remove yourself from them. And by always knowing the breath, you make yourself familiar with the breath. That is the right way to deal with wandering thoughts.

If your mind wanders frequently, you may help your it stay with the breath by noting: when knowing the in-&-out breath, note it as:

‘in – out; in – out; in – out…’.

You may also count the breaths, that is to say, when breathing in, you note: ‘in’; when breathing out, you note ‘out’, and at the end of the out-breath you count ‘one’. You can count in this way up to at least five, but not to more than ten. For example, if you choose to count up to eight, you should count from one to eight again and again. But, as you count the breaths, your object should still be the breath, not the numbers that you count. The numbers are just a tool to help you stay with the breath. You should continue counting until your mind becomes calm and stable. Then you can stop counting, and just know the in-&-out breath.

Step Four
Focus on the breath. When you are able to be aware of the breath continuously for 15 to 20 minutes, you may be said to have become quite familiar with the breath. You may then begin to focus more, concentrate more on the breath. At the previous stage, when you were aware of the breath, you knew also the touching point. But at this stage, you try to ignore the touching point, and focus on the breath alone. By doing so, your mind will become more concentrated. If, however, you do it too soon (before you are familiar with the breath), you will find that tension gathers over your face.

Step Five
When you can concentrate continuously on the breath for more than 30 minutes, your concentration may be said to be quite good. Now you should try to concentrate on the whole breath from beginning to end. At one point, you concentrate on the in-breath from its very beginning to its very end. Then, from the same one point, you concentrate on the out-breath, from its very beginning to its very end. This way, there is no gap, the mind cannot escape and go wandering, and your concentration will become deeper and deeper.

You will find that your breath is sometimes long and sometimes short. Long and short here means the duration, not the distance. When your breathing is slow, you breath is long; when your breathing is quick, you breath is short.You should let it be as it is: you should not make it long or short on purpose. You should just know the whole breath, regardless of whether it is long or short.

If you persevere in practising this way, your concentration will gradually become stable. When you can concentrate on the breath continuously for more than one hour in every sitting, for more than three days in a row, you may find that your breath soon becomes a nimitta, the sign of concentration.

Summary
These are some basic steps on how to practise ānāpānasati. You should remember them and practise accordingly. You have to practise in every posture. Do not stop your practice when the sitting meditation session ends. While opening your eyes, relaxing your legs, getting up etc., try to go on knowing the breath. While standing, walking, lying down, etc., try always to know your breath.

Do not let your mind take any other objects. Let the gaps in your practice become fewer and fewer. If you practise all the time, there will be almost no gaps. You must practise with diligence and perseverance in this way, from the time you wake up in the early morning, till you fall asleep at night. If you do so, you are likely to succeed in attaining jhāna at this very retreat. That is why the Buddha said ānāpānasati should be developed and practised much.

You should stop talking, especially in your room: you should talk only when you report your meditation experience to your meditation teacher, and when it is necessary. Holding a meditation retreat is not easy. The organizers and helpers take great pains to make everything suitable for meditation. The donors offer requisites with the good wish that every yogi may succeed in meditation, and thereby they gain great merit. So there is every reason for you to meditate diligently.

But, do not expect everything to be perfect. You should appreciate every convenience you receive, and tolerate any inconvenience that you meet. Instead of complaining, let your mind stay always with your breath. Start right now.

May you all succeed in meditation.

Mahāsi Sayādaw
Practical Vipassanā Meditation Exercises

Mental Noting
The practice of Vipassanā or Insight Meditation is the effort to understand correctly the nature of the mental and physical phenom­ena within one’s own body. Physical phenomena are the things or objects that one clearly perceives around and within one. The whole of one’s body constitutes a group of material qualities (rūpa). Mental phenomena are acts of consciousness or awareness (nāma). These are clearly perceived whenever things are seen, heard, smelt, tasted, touched, or thought of. We must make our­selves aware of these mental phenomena by observing them and noting thus: ‘Seeing, seeing,’ ‘hearing, hearing,’ ‘smelling, smelling,’ ‘tasting, tasting,’ ‘touching, touching,’ or ‘thinking, thinking.’

Every time one sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, or thinks, one should make a note of the fact. However, in the beginning of one’s practice, one cannot make a note all of these events. One should, therefore, begin with noting those events which are conspicuous and easily perceivable.

With every act of breathing, the abdomen rises and falls — this movement is always evident. This is the material quality known as the element of motion (vāyodhātu). One should begin by noting this movement, which may be done by mentally observing the abdomen. You will find the abdomen rising when you breathe in, and falling when you breathe out. The rising should be noted mentally as ‘rising,’ and the falling as ‘falling.’ If the movement is not evident by just noting it mentally, keep touching the abdomen with the palm of your hand. Do not alter the manner of your breathing. Neither slow it down, nor make it faster. Do not breathe too vigorously, either. You will tire if you change the manner of your breathing. Breathe steadily as usual and note the rising and falling of the abdomen as they occur. Note it mentally, not verbally.

In vipassanā meditation, what you name or say doesn’t matter. What really matters is to know or perceive. While noting the rising of the abdomen, do so from the beginning to the end of the movement just as if you are seeing it with your eyes. Do the same with the falling movement. Note the rising movement in such a way that your awareness of it is concurrent with the movement itself. The movement and the mental awareness of it should coincide in the same way as a stone thrown hits the target. Similarly with the falling movement.

Noting Thoughts
Your mind may wander elsewhere while you are noting the abdominal movement. This must also be noted by mentally saying, ‘wandering, wandering.’ When this has been noted once or twice, the mind stops wandering, in which case you return to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. If the mind reaches somewhere, note as ‘reaching, reaching.’ Then return to the rising and falling of the abdomen. If you imagine meeting somebody, note as ‘meeting, meeting.’ Then return to the rising and falling. If you imagine meeting and talking to somebody, note as ‘talking, talking.’

In short, whatever thought or reflection occurs should be noted. If you imagine, note as ‘imagining.’ If you think, ‘thinking.’ If you plan, ‘planning.’ If you perceive, ‘perceiving.’ If you reflect, ‘reflecting.’ If you feel happy, ‘happy.’ If you feel bored, ‘bored.’ If you feel glad, ‘glad.’ If you feel disheartened, ‘disheartened.’ Noting all these acts of consciousness is called cittānupassanā.

Because we fail to note these acts of consciousness, we tend to identify them with a person or individual. We tend to think that it is ‘I’ who is imagining, thinking, planning, knowing or perceiving. We think that there is a person who, from childhood onwards, has been living and thinking. Actually, no such person exists. There are instead only these continuing and successive acts of consciousness. That is why we have to note these acts of consciousness and know them for what they are. So we have to note each and every act of consciousness as it arises. When so noted, it tends to disappear. We then return to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen.

Pain and Discomfort
When you have sat meditating for a long time, sensations of stiffness and heat will arise in your body. These are to be noted carefully too. Similarly with sensations of pain and fatigue. All of these sensations are dukkhavedanā (feeling of unsatisfactoriness) and noting them is vedanānupassanā. Failure or omission to note these sensations makes you think, “I am stiff, I am feeling hot, I am in pain. I was alright a moment ago. Now I am uneasy with these unpleasant sensations.” The identification of these sensations with the ego is mistaken. There is really no ‘I’ involved, only a succession of one new unpleasant sensation after another.

It is just like a continuous succession of new electrical impulses that light up an electric lamp. Every time unpleasant contacts are encountered in the body, unpleasant sensations arise one after another. These sensations should be carefully and intently noted, whether they are sensations of stiffness, of heat, or of pain. In the beginning of one’s meditation practice, these sensations may tend to increase and lead to a desire to change one’s posture. This desire should be noted, after which the meditator should return to noting the sensations of stiffness, heat, etc.

There is a saying, “Patience leads to nibbāna.” This saying is particularly relevant in meditation practice. One must be patient to meditate. If one shifts or changes one’s posture too often because one cannot bear the sensation of stiffness or heat that arises, good concentration (samādhi) cannot develop. If concentration cannot develop, insight cannot result and there can be no attainment of the path (magga), the fruit of that path (phala) or nibbāna. That is why patience is needed in meditation. It is mostly patience with unpleasant sensations in the body like stiffness, heat, pain and other unpleasant sensations. On the appearance of such sensations one should not immediately change one’s posture. One should continue patiently, just noting as ‘stiff, stiff’ or ‘hot, hot.’ Moderate unpleasant sensations will disappear if one notes them patiently. When concentration is strong, even intense sensations tend to disappear. One then reverts to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen.

One will, of course, have to change one’s posture if the sensations do not disappear even after noting them for a long time, or if they become unbearable. One should then begin by noting ‘wanting to change, wanting to change.’ If one raises the arm, note as ‘raising, raising.’ If one moves, note as ‘moving, moving.’ This change should be made gently and noted as ‘raising, raising,’ ‘moving, moving’ and ‘touching, touching.’

If the body sways, note ‘swaying, swaying.’ If you raise the foot, note ‘raising, raising.’ If you move it, note ‘moving, moving.’ If you drop it, note ‘dropping, dropping.’ When there is no more movement, return to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. There must be no gaps, but continuity between a preceding act of noting and a succeeding one, between a preceding state of concentration and a succeeding one, between a preceding act of intelligence and a succeeding one. Only then will there be successive and ascending stages of maturity in the meditator’s understanding. Knowledge of the path and its fruition are attained only when there is this kind of accumulated momentum. The meditative process is like that of producing fire by energetically and unremittingly rubbing two sticks of wood together to generate enough heat to make fire.

In the same way, the noting in vipassanā meditation should be continuous and unremitting, without any interval between acts of noting, whatever phenomena may arise. For instance, if a sensation of itchiness intervenes and the meditator desires to scratch because it is hard to bear, both the sensation and the desire to get rid of it should be noted, without immediately getting rid of the sensation by scratching.
If one perseveres, the itchiness will generally disappear, in which case one reverts to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. If the itchiness does not disappear, one may eliminate it by scratching, but first the desire to do so should be noted. All the movements involved in the process of eliminating the itch should be noted, especially the touching, pulling and pushing, and scratching movements, eventually returning to the rising and falling of the abdomen.

Changing Your Posture
Whenever you change your posture, begin by noting your intention or desire to change, and note every movement closely, such as rising from the sitting posture, raising the arm, moving and stretching it. You should note the movements at the same time as making them. As your body sways forward, note it. As you rise, the body becomes light and rises. Focus your mind on this, you should gently note as ‘rising, rising.’

A meditator should behave like a weak invalid. People in normal health rise easily and quickly, or abruptly. Not so with feeble invalids, who do so slowly and gently. The same is the case with people suffering from backache who rise gently lest the back hurts and causes pain. So also with meditators. They should make changes of posture gradually and gently; only then will mindfulness, concentration and insight be clear. Begin, therefore, with gentle and gradual movements. When rising, the meditator must do so gently like an invalid, at the same time noting as ‘rising, rising.’ Not only this: though the eye sees, the meditator must act as if blind. Similarly when the ear hears. While meditating, the meditator’s concern is only to note. What one sees and hears are not one’s concern. So whatever strange or striking things one may see or hear, one must behave as if one does not see or hear them, merely noting carefully.

Walking Meditation
When making bodily movements, the meditator should do so slowly, gently moving the arms and legs, bending or stretching them, lowering the head and raising it up. When rising from the sitting posture, one should do so gradually, noting as ‘rising, rising.’ When straightening up and standing, note as ‘standing, standing.’ When looking here and there, note as ‘looking, seeing.’ When walking, note the steps, whether they are taken with the right or the left foot. You must be aware of all the successive movements involved, from the raising of the foot to the dropping of it. Note each step taken, whether with the right foot or the left foot. This is the manner of noting when one walks fast.

It will be enough if you note thus when walking fast and walking some distance. When walking slowly or pacing up and down, three stages should be noted for each step: when the foot is raised, when it is pushed forward, and when it is dropped. Begin with noting the raising and dropping movements. One must be fully aware of the raising of the foot. Similarly, when the foot is dropped, one should be fully aware of the ‘heavy’ falling of the foot.

One must walk noting as ‘raising, dropping’ with each step. This noting will become easier after about two days. Then go on to noting the three movements as described above, as ‘raising, pushing forward, dropping.’ In the beginning, it will suffice to note one or two movements only, thus ‘right step, left step’ when walking fast and ‘raising, dropping’ when walking slowly. If when walking thus, you want to sit down, note as ‘wanting to sit down, wanting to sit down.’ When actually sitting down, note attentively the ‘heavy’ falling of your body.

When you are seated, note the movements involved in arranging your legs and arms. When there are no such movements of the body, note the rising and falling of the abdomen. If, while noting thus, stiffness or sensation of heat arise in any part of your body, note them. Then return to ‘rising, falling.’ If a desire to lie down arises, note it and the movements of your legs and arms as you lie down. The raising of the arm, the moving of it, the resting of the elbow on the floor, the swaying of the body, the stretching of the legs, the listing of the body as one slowly prepares to lie down — all these movements should be noted.

To note thus as you lie down is important. In the course of this movement (that is, lying down), you can gain distinctive knowledge (i.e. knowledge of the path and its fruition). When concentration and insight are strong, distinctive knowledge can come at any moment. It can arise in a single ‘bend’ of the arm or in a single ‘stretch’ of the arm. That was how Venerable Ānanda became an arahant.

Venerable Ānanda was trying strenuously to attain Arahantship overnight on the eve of the First Buddhist Council. He was practising the whole night the form of vipassanā meditation known as kāyagatāsati, noting his steps, right and left, raising, pushing forward and dropping of the feet; noting, event by event, the mental desire to walk and the physical movements involved in walking. Although this went on until it was nearly dawn, he had not yet attained Arahantship. Realising that he had practised walking meditation to excess and that, in order to balance concentration and effort, he should practise meditation in the lying posture for a while, he entered his room. He sat on the bed and then lay down. While doing so and noting, ‘lying, lying,’ he attained Arahantship in an instant.

Venerable Ānanda was only a stream-winner (sotāpanna) before he lay down. From the stage of a stream-winner he reached the stages of a once-returner (sakadāgāmi) a non-returner (anāgāmi) and an arahant (the final stage of the path). Reaching these three successive stages of the higher path took only a moment. Remember this example of Venerable Ānanda’s attainment of Arahantship. Such attainment can come at any moment and need not take long.

Continuity of Practice
That is why meditators should always note diligently. One should not relax one’s effort, thinking, “this little lapse should not matter much.” All movements involved in lying down and arranging the arms and legs should be carefully and unremittingly noted. If there is no movement, return to noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. Even when it is getting late and time for sleep, the meditator should not stop the noting. A really serious and energetic meditator should practise mindfulness as if forgoing sleep altogether. One should go on meditating until one falls asleep. If mindfulness has the upper hand, one will not fall asleep. If, however, drowsiness is stronger, one will fall asleep.

When one feels sleepy, one should note as ‘sleepy, sleepy,’ if one’s eyelids droop, as ‘drooping’; if they become heavy or leaden, as ‘heavy’; if the eyes smart, as ‘smarting.’ Noting thus, the drowsiness may pass and the eyes may become clear again. One should then note as ‘clear, clear’ and continue noting the rising and falling of the abdomen. However determined one may be, if real drowsiness intervenes, one does fall asleep. It is not difficult to fall asleep; in fact, it is easy. If you meditate in the lying posture, you soon become drowsy and easily fall asleep. That is why beginners should not meditate too much in the lying posture; they should meditate much more in the sitting and walking postures. However, as it grows late and becomes time for sleep, one should meditate in the lying position, noting the rising and falling movements of the abdomen. One will then naturally fall asleep.

The time one is asleep is the resting time for the meditator, but the really serious meditator should limit sleep to about four hours. This is the ‘midnight time’ permitted by the Buddha. Four hours sleep is quite enough. If the beginner thinks that four hours’ sleep is not enough for health, one may extend it to five or six hours. Six hours’ sleep is clearly enough.

When one wakes up, one should immediately resume noting. The meditator who is really intent on attaining the path and its fruition should rest from meditation only when asleep. At other times, in all waking moments, one should be noting continually and without let up. That is why, as soon as one awakens, one should note the awakening state of mind as ‘awakening, awakening.’ If one cannot yet be aware of this, one should begin with noting the rising and falling of the abdomen.

If one intends to get up from the bed, one should note as ‘intending to get up, intending to get up.’ One should then note the movements one makes as one moves one’s arms and legs. When one raises one’s head and rises, one notes as ‘rising, rising.’ When one is seated, one notes as ‘sitting, sitting.’ If one makes any movements as one arranges one’s arms and legs, all of these movements should also be noted. If there are no such changes, one should revert to noting the rising and falling movements of the abdomen.

Mindfulness of Daily Activities
One should note when one washes one’s face and when one takes a bath. As the movements involved in these acts are rather quick, as many of them should be noted as possible. There are then the acts of dressing, of tidying up the bed, of opening and closing the door; all these should also be noted as precisely as possible.

When one has one’s meal and looks at the table, one should note as ‘looking, seeing, looking, seeing.’ When one extends one’s hand towards the food, touches it, collects it and arranges it, handles it and brings it to the mouth, bends one’s head and puts the morsel into one’s mouth, drops one’s arm and raises one’s head again, all these movements should be duly noted. (This way of noting is in accordance with the Burmese way of taking a meal. Those who use fork and spoon or chopsticks should note the movements in an appropriate manner.)

When one chews the food, one should note as ‘chewing, chewing.’ When one comes to know the taste of the food, one should note as ‘knowing, knowing.’ As one relishes the food and swallows it, as the food goes down one’s throat, one should note all these events. This is how the meditator should note when taking each morsel of food. As one takes soup, all the movements involved such as extending the arm, handling the spoon, scooping with it and so on, should all be noted. To note thus at meal-times is rather difficult as there are so many things to observe and note. The beginner is likely to miss several things that should be noted, but one should resolve to note them all. One cannot, of course, help overlooking some, but as one’s concentration deepens, one will be able to note all of these events precisely.

Summary
I have mentioned so many things for the meditator to note, but in brief, there are only a few things to remember. When walking fast, note as ‘right step,’ ‘left step,’ and as ‘raising, dropping’ when walking slowly. When sitting quietly, just note the rising and falling of the abdomen. Note the same when you are lying down, if there is nothing particular to note. While noting thus and if the mind wanders, note the acts of consciousness that arise. Then return to the rising and falling of the abdomen. Note also the sensations of stiffness, pain, aching and itchiness as they arise. Then return to the rising and falling of the abdomen. Note also, as they arise, the bending, stretching and moving of the limbs, the bending and raising of the head, the swaying and straightening of the body. Then return to the rising and falling of the abdomen.

As one goes on noting thus, one will be able to note more and more of these events. In the beginning, as the mind wanders here and there, one may miss many things, but one should not be disheartened. Every beginner encounters the same difficulty, but as one becomes more skilled, one becomes aware of every act of mind-wandering until, eventually, the mind does not wander any more. The mind is then riveted onto the object of its attention, the act of mindfulness becoming almost simultaneous with the object of its attention. In other words, the rising of the abdomen becomes concurrent with the act of noting it, and similarly with the falling of the abdomen.

The Arising of Insight
The physical object of attention and the mental act of noting occur as a pair. There is in this occurrence no person or individual involved, only the physical object and the mental act of noting it, occurring in tandem. The meditator will, in time, actually and personally experience these occurrences. While noting the rising and falling of the abdomen one will come to distinguish the rising of the abdomen as physical phenomenon and the mental act of noting it as mental phenomenon; similarly with the falling of the abdomen. Thus the meditator will distinctly realise the simultaneous occurrence in pairs of these psycho-physical phenomena.

With every act of noting, the meditator will come to know clearly that there are only this material quality which is the object of awareness or attention and the mental quality that makes a note of it. This discriminating knowledge is called analytical knowledge of mind and matter (nāmarūpa-pariccheda-ñāṇa), which is the beginning of insight knowledge (vipassanā-ñāṇa). It is important to gain this knowledge correctly. This will be succeeded, as the meditator continues, by knowledge by discerning conditionality (paccaya-pariggaha-ñāṇa).

As one goes on noting, one will see for oneself that what arises passes away after a short while. Ordinary people assume that both the material and mental phenomena persist throughout life, that is, from youth to adulthood. In fact, that is not so. There is no phenomenon that lasts for ever. All phenomena arise and pass away so rapidly that they do not last even for the twinkling of an eye. One will come to know this personally as one goes on noting. One will then become convinced of the impermanency of all such phenomena. Such conviction is called aniccānupassanā-ñāṇa.
This knowledge will be succeeded by dukkhānupassanā-ñāṇa, which realises that all this impermanency is suffering. The meditator is also likely to encounter all kinds of hardship in the body, which is just an aggregate of suffering. This is also dukkhānupassanā-ñāṇa. Next, the meditator will become convinced that all these psycho-physical phenomena are occurring of their own accord, following nobody’s will and subject to nobody’s control. They constitute no individual or ego-entity. This realisation is anattānupassanā-ñāṇa.

When, as one continues meditating, one comes to realise firmly that all these phenomena are anicca, dukkha and anatta, one will attain nibbāna. All the former Buddhas, Arahants and Ariyas realised nibbāna by following this very path. All meditating meditators should recognize that they themselves are now on this satipaṭṭhāna path, in fulfilment of their wish for attainment of knowledge of the path, its fruition and nibbāna, following the ripening of their perfections (pāramī). They should feel glad at the prospect of experiencing the noble kind of tranquillity brought about by concentration and the supramundane knowledge or wisdom experienced by the Buddhas, Arahants and Noble Ones (ariya), which they themselves have never experienced before. It will not be very long before they experience this knowledge for themselves. In fact, it may be within a month or twenty days of meditation practice. Those whose perfections are exceptional may have these experiences within seven days.

One should therefore be content in the faith that one will attain these insights in the time specified above, and that one will be freed of personality-belief and doubt, and thus saved from the danger of rebirth in the lower worlds. One should continue one’s meditation practice optimistically with this faith.

May you all be able to practise meditation well and quickly attain that nibbāna which the Buddhas, ­Arahants and Noble Ones have experienced!

Appendix
Below is a concise excerpted translation from the Pāḷi of the Mahā­satipaṭṭhāna Sutta accompanied by a commentary from the author, Mahāsi Sayādaw. This is offered as an expanded aid in this meditation technique, a reference to the source from which all Satipaṭṭhāna meditation arose, the words of the Buddha.

Techniques of Meditation
The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta states:
• “And moreover, monks, a monk, when he is walking, is aware of it thus: ‘I walk’; or when he is standing, or sitting, or lying down, he is aware thereof.”
• “And moreover, monks, a monk, when he departs, or returns, when he looks at or looks away from, when he bends or stretches (his limbs), when he puts on the lower robe, the upper robe, or takes the bowl, when he is eating, drinking, chewing, savouring, or when he is obeying the calls of nature — he is aware of what he is doing. In going, standing, sitting, sleeping, watching, talking, or keeping silence, he knows what he is doing.”
• “And moreover, monks, a monk reflects upon this very body, however it be placed or disposed, with respect to the four elements.”
• “Herein, monks, when affected by a feeling of pleasure, a monk is aware of it as ‘I feel a pleasurable feeling.’ Likewise, he is aware when affected by a painful feeling.”
• “Herein, monks, if a monk has a lustful thought, he is aware that it is so, or if the thought is free from lust, is aware that it is so. Herein, monks, when a monk is aware of sensual desire he reflects ‘I have sensual desire.’”

In accordance with these teachings of the Buddha, it has been stated in colloquial language thus: “rising” while the abdomen is rising; “falling” while the abdomen is falling; “bending” while the limbs are bending; “stretching” while the limbs are stretching; “wandering” while the mind is wandering; “thinking”, “reflecting”, or “knowing” while one is so engaged; “feeling stiff, hot,” or “in pain” while one feels so; “walking, standing, sitting,” or “lying” while one is so doing. Here it should be noted that walking and so on are stated in common words instead of “being aware of the inner wind element manifesting itself in the movement of the limbs,” as is stated in the Pāḷi texts.

Rising and Falling Movement of the Abdomen
It is quite in agreement with the Buddha’s teachings to contemplate on the rising and falling movements of the abdomen. Such rising and falling is a physical process (rūpa) caused by the pressure of the wind element. The wind element is included in the material group of the five aggregates (khandhā); in the tactile object of the twelve sense bases (āyatana); in the body impression of the eighteen elements (dhātu); in the wind element of the four material elements (mahābhūta); in the truth of suffering of the four noble truths (sacca). The material aggregate, a tactile object, a body impression and the truth of suffering are certainly objects for insight contemplation. Surely they are not otherwise.

The rising and falling movement of the abdomen is therefore a proper object for contemplation, and while so contemplating, being aware that it is but a movement of the wind element, subject to the laws of impermanence, suffering and insubstantiality, is quite in agreement with the Buddha’s discourses on the aggregates (khandha), the sense bases (āyatana), the elements (dhātu), and the Noble Truths (sacca). While the abdomen is rising and falling, the pressure and movement experienced thereby is a manifestation of the wind element which is tactile, and perceiving that rightly as such is quite in accordance with what the Buddha taught as briefly shown below.
• “Apply your mind thoroughly, monks, to body and regard it in its true nature as impermanent.”
• “Monks, when a monk sees the body which is impermanent, as impermanent, this view of his is right view.”
• “Herein, monks, a monk reflects: ‘Such is material form, such is its genesis, such its passing away.’”
• “Apply your minds thoroughly, monks, to the tactile objects and regard their true nature as impermanent.”
• “Monks, when a monk sees tactile objects which are impermanent, this view of his is right view. However, by fully knowing and comprehending, by detaching himself from and abandoning the tactile objects, one is capable of extinguishing ill.”
• “In him who knows and sees tactile objects as impermanent, ignorance vanishes and knowledge arises.”
• “Herein, monks, a monk is aware of the organ of touch and tangibles.”
• “Whatever is an internal element of motion, and whatever is an external element of motion, just these are the element of motion. By means of perfect intuitive wisdom it should be seen of this as it really is, thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

Thus the contemplation of the rising and the falling movement of the abdomen is in accord with the above discourses and also with the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (Dhātu­manasikārapabba — section on attention to the elements), Again, the wind element that causes the movement and pressure of the abdomen, comprised in the group of materiality, is the truth of suffering.

July 8, 2025

What is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching?

The essence of the Buddha’s teaching can be summed up in three core principles:

1. The Four Noble Truths

These are the foundation of all Buddhist teachings:

  1. Dukkha – Life involves suffering, dissatisfaction, or stress.
  2. Samudaya – The cause of suffering is craving (tanha), attachment, and ignorance.
  3. Nirodha – Suffering can end by letting go of craving.
  4. Magga – There is a path to the end of suffering: the Noble Eightfold Path.

2. The Noble Eightfold Path

This is the practical guide to end suffering and attain liberation:

  • Wisdom (Paññā):
    1. Right View
    2. Right Intention
  • Ethical Conduct (Sīla):
    3. Right Speech
    4. Right Action
    5. Right Livelihood
  • Mental Discipline (Samādhi):
    6. Right Effort
    7. Right Mindfulness
    8. Right Concentration

3. Anicca, Dukkha, Anattā

These are the three marks of existence:

  • Anicca – Impermanence: All things change.
  • Dukkha – Suffering or unsatisfactoriness pervades conditioned existence.
  • Anattā – Non-self: There is no permanent, unchanging self or soul.

In Simple Terms:

“Nothing lasts, nothing can satisfy, and nothing is truly ‘me.’ Let go, be mindful, and live ethically — that’s the path to peace.”

Would you like a version tailored to a specific tradition (Theravāda, Zen, Tibetan, etc.)?

Theravada

In Theravāda Buddhism, the essence of the Buddha’s teaching is grounded in personal liberation through insight — specifically by realizing the Four Noble Truths and attaining Nibbāna (Nirvana).

Here’s how the essence of the Dhamma is expressed in Theravāda:

🔹 1. The Four Noble Truths (Cattāri Ariya-saccāni)

They are not just philosophical ideas but truths to be fully realized:

  1. Dukkha – Life is inherently unsatisfactory due to birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, and clinging.
  2. Samudaya – The cause of dukkha is craving (taṇhā), rooted in ignorance (avijjā).
  3. Nirodha – The cessation of dukkha is possible — this is Nibbāna.
  4. Magga – The path to Nibbāna is the Noble Eightfold Path.

🔹 2. The Noble Eightfold Path (Ariya Aṭṭhaṅgika Magga)

A gradual path of training, categorized into three core disciplines:

  • Sīla (Morality):
    • Right Speech
    • Right Action
    • Right Livelihood
  • Samādhi (Concentration):
    • Right Effort
    • Right Mindfulness
    • Right Concentration
  • Paññā (Wisdom):
    • Right View
    • Right Intention

This path is not a belief system, but a practice leading to direct experience of truth.

🔹 3. Three Characteristics of Existence (Tilakkhaṇa)

The meditator must directly observe these in all phenomena:

  • Anicca – Impermanence
  • Dukkha – Unsatisfactoriness
  • Anattā – Non-self

Understanding these leads to vipassanā (insight) and eventually to disenchantment and dispassion, breaking the cycle of saṁsāra (rebirth).

🔹 4. Dependent Origination (Paṭicca Samuppāda)

This is the Buddha’s deep insight into the chain of cause and effect that keeps beings trapped in suffering.

“When this exists, that comes to be.
With the arising of this, that arises.
When this ceases, that ceases.”
(— Nidāna-vagga)

Understanding this process breaks ignorance and leads to liberation.

🧘 Essence in Practice:

The Theravāda tradition emphasizes:

  • Sīla (virtue) as the foundation
  • Meditation (samādhi + vipassanā) to train the mind
  • Wisdom (paññā) to uproot ignorance

“Sabbe dhammā anattā – All phenomena are not-self.”
“Appamādo amatapadaṁ” – Heedfulness is the path to the deathless.”

Would you like a summary of how this is practiced in modern Theravāda traditions like those of Ajahn Chah, Mahāsi Sayādaw, or Goenka’s Vipassanā?

All three

Great choice! Here’s how the essence of the Buddha’s teaching is preserved and practiced in three major modern Theravāda traditions — Ajahn Chah’s Thai Forest tradition, Mahāsi Sayādaw’s Burmese Vipassanā system, and S.N. Goenka’s Vipassanā tradition. Each emphasizes different methods, but all are rooted in the Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, and liberation through insight.

🟡 1. Ajahn Chah (Thai Forest Tradition)

🪷 “The heart of the practice is letting go.”

Focus:

  • Emphasis on sīla (morality), samādhi (concentration), and mindfulness in daily life.
  • Strong forest monastic discipline and simplicity of living.
  • Combines samatha (calm) and vipassanā (insight) practices naturally, not as separate paths.

Key Teachings:

  • Meditation begins with awareness of the breath, leading to calm (samādhi), then deep insight (vipassanā).
  • Everything should be seen as anicca (impermanent), dukkha (unsatisfactory), and anattā (not-self) — including thoughts, emotions, even consciousness.
  • Liberation arises not from gaining knowledge, but from letting go of clinging to all conditioned things.

“Try to be mindful, and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become still in any surroundings, like a clear forest pool.”

🟢 2. Mahāsi Sayādaw (Burmese Vipassanā System)

🧘 “Observe clearly and note what is happening in the present moment.”

Focus:

  • Strong emphasis on vipassanā (insight meditation) using noting technique.
  • Meditation systematized into stages of insight (vipassanā-ñāṇas).
  • Uses rising and falling of the abdomen as the primary object, combined with mental noting (e.g., “rising”, “falling”, “thinking”, “hearing”).

Key Teachings:

  • Develops moment-to-moment mindfulness to penetrate the three characteristics of existence.
  • Encourages continuous awareness through “noting” to prevent delusion or identification.
  • With practice, insight leads to disenchantment and eventually to Nibbāna.

“The noting is not verbal recitation. It is a mental act of observing and knowing the object.”

🔵 3. S.N. Goenka (Vipassanā as taught by U Ba Khin)

🌊 “Observe sensations objectively — without craving or aversion.”

Focus:

  • Teaches vipassanā as a body-based awareness of sensations (vedanā).
  • Starts with ānāpāna (breath awareness), then moves to sweeping attention through the body to observe physical sensations.
  • Stresses equanimity and awareness as the path to purify the mind.

Key Teachings:

  • Sensations are manifestations of sankhāras (mental formations). Reacting to them reinforces craving and aversion.
  • Observing bodily sensations with equanimity dissolves deep-rooted conditioning.
  • Practice is universal, non-sectarian, and aims at self-transformation through self-observation.

“Bhavatu sabba maṅgalaṁ – May all beings be happy.”
“Start observing reality as it is, not as you would like it to be.”

🌟 Common Ground

Despite different approaches, all three agree on:

  • Direct observation of reality as it arises in the present moment.
  • Understanding the three marks of existence (anicca, dukkha, anattā).
  • Liberation is achieved not through belief, but through practice and direct experience.
  • The path requires effort, morality, mindfulness, and wisdom.

Would you like a table comparing these three methods side by side for clarity?

Did Goenka change U Ba Khin”s method at all?

Yes, S.N. Goenka preserved the core of U Ba Khin’s Vipassanā method but adapted and systematized it for laypeople on a large scale. The essence remained the same — observing bodily sensations with equanimity — but there were some differences in structure, accessibility, and emphasis.

Here’s a breakdown:

🔶 What Goenka Preserved from U Ba Khin:

  1. Vipassanā through sensation (vedanā):
    • The central method: scanning the body to observe sensations without reaction.
    • Based on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta.
  2. Anicca as the key insight:
    • Sensations are impermanent; craving/aversion arises from ignorance of this.
    • Observing this leads to purification of the mind.
  3. Non-sectarian, universal Dhamma:
    • Taught the practice as a universal path of self-purification, not tied to religion.
  4. Emphasis on sīla (morality) as foundation:
    • Without sīla, samādhi and paññā can’t be stable or effective.

🟡 What Goenka Changed or Adapted:

1. Course Structure: 10-Day Format

  • U Ba Khin offered shorter courses to experienced Burmese students.
  • Goenka standardized the 10-day retreat format as a complete introduction for beginners worldwide.

“You must give at least ten days of your life to give the technique a fair trial.”

2. Guided Instructions via Audio & Video

  • Goenka used recorded instructions and nightly discourses to ensure uniformity and consistency across centers.
  • U Ba Khin taught more directly, often adjusting in-person based on student progress.

3. Removal of Esoteric or Theistic Language

  • U Ba Khin sometimes referenced Abhidhamma and Buddhist cosmology (e.g., devas, stages of jhāna).
  • Goenka focused purely on practical aspects, omitting deeper Abhidhamma or mystical concepts.

“We don’t teach Buddhism, but the teaching of the Buddha — universal truths.”

4. Limited Use of Samatha/Jhāna

  • Goenka minimized emphasis on deep jhāna states or concentrative absorptions.
  • While U Ba Khin acknowledged these, Goenka saw strong samādhi as developing naturally from mindfulness of sensation, without need for formal jhāna categorization.

5. Mass Outreach and Globalization

  • Goenka scaled the method globally, establishing over 100 centers.
  • U Ba Khin had fewer students and kept it within Burmese and select foreign students.

🧘 Summary:

AspectU Ba KhinS.N. Goenka
Core MethodSensation-based VipassanāSame
Course LengthFlexible, shorter retreats possibleStandardized 10-day retreats
Teaching StyleIn-person, responsivePre-recorded, consistent
Samādhi/Jhāna EmphasisAcknowledgedMinimal focus
Cosmology/AbhidhammaOccasionally referencedAvoided for universal appeal
AudienceSelect students, mostly BurmeseOpen to all laypeople globally