112: Retreat Dhamma Talk 7: The Correct Method of Observation

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SPEAKER_01 0:04

Namo tasabhagavato rahato samasambudasa tasabhagavato rahto sama sambu dasa nammo tasabhagavato rahato sama budasa Retreat series Dhamma talk number seven. So we have been practicing Satipatana Vipassana Mindfulness Insight Meditation. So let us see whether we are practicing correctly or not. It is important to be able to practice correctly, otherwise your desire objective will not be reached. Of course, whenever we talk about this practicing mindfulness and sight meditation, one needs to know. If we practice it correctly, mental defilements are subdued at the moment, or they are away at that moment. Whenever the mental defilements are away, at that moment you are in peace. Calm and peace. Of course, for a little short moment, we cannot really experience it. That calm and peace. But regardless, as long as you practice correctly, even one moment, at that moment you are in calm and peace. Time will tell, and time will make you experience that calm and peace. That's why it is important. That's why you will hear repeatedly during the retreat again and again how to practice mindfulness and sight correctly. Because it is the fundamental unit that one needs to know. It's a fundamental unit that is vitally important for the success. And even though it is fundamental that practicing correctly will lead you directly to the cessation of all form of suffering. Even though it's so fundamental and simple, it is vitally important. Some of the yogis may say, we have heard this, we have heard so many times. I know it. Some might think that way, some might say that way. But I cannot stress enough, even though so simple and even though you have heard so many times, this is the most critical aspect of the practice and of the objective that we are all going to reach. And here, what are we doing? We are simply observing the objects. That's what we are doing. Why do we observe the objects? So that we can understand the true nature of what we call self. And in here, what is important is the first thing is the aim. Okay, aim. What do you aim? You aim the object. And what is object? Object can be anything and everything. All physicality and all mentality, in other words, all mind and all matter. All consciousness and all matter. All these are called objects. So whenever we say object, one must understand as that. And these objects, what we said, belongs to three time zones. There are objects in the past, there are objects right now at the present. There will be objects in future. They belong to all three times. So if you are observing or aiming at the objects that has been in the past, you cannot really do that because it doesn't exist anymore. It just doesn't exist. You just cannot observe. And also even if you recall it, put a memory recall, and then observe it, you might be able to do so, but only to a certain degree. It wouldn't be a perfect nature. You will have some obscurity in it. So if you observe the object in the past, you might be able to get to a certain point, what is close to the real truth, but you will understand or see the object with obscurity. And if you are observing the object in the future, what it is is the future is not arrived yet. So that object, what you think is, is uncertain. So obscurity and uncertainty will always arise if you try to observe objects that belong to the past and future. Only the one that is arising or happening at the present moment, you can see it face to face. So to speak, you can see it, you can feel it, you can touch it, you can rub it, you can observe it, you can investigate it. Only the object that is arising at the present moment, only then you will truly know because you have a direct contact. No intermediary, no reflection, no thinking. Because it is right in front of you. You don't need to think about it, you don't need to recall it, you don't have to project it. It's just simply you just have to touch it and feel it and see it. So that's one thing you need to know about the correct method. First of all, it's observation. What do you observe? The objects. What are the objects we know now? And from what time zone of the object we need to use? The present. That's how one is. And these objects at the present moment are always arising because present moment never ends. And present moment is the only one that you truly and really have. The past one's gone. You don't have it, future hasn't arrived yet, but the present is what you really have. And that present never ends. There is always present, there is always present, always present. So you have an endless opportunity to observe at the present. So when the object arises at the present moment, you must aim at the object. That aiming is very important. Aiming is very important because as soon as the object arises, your mind must aim towards it. In other words, you are always ready for the object of the present moment. When you are always ready for the object of the present moment, as soon as it arises, it seems like your mind is just right there, aim an archer ready when you are going to shoot at the target aiming. That aiming. That aiming is very important. Not only important, you can call it critical. Because whenever you are aiming, what it is is when something is arising, let's say in a concentration meditation, what does it do? In concentration meditation, you are always direct your mind at the object that you choose. The object that you choose. What does it mean by object that you choose? Aiming means you are always applying your thought, always directing your thought towards that object, the same object again and again. And in here too, we are aiming at the object. In other words, we are applying or directing our mind at the object. So in concentration meditation is called vidaka. But in vipassana we don't call it vidaka. Instead, there's another name for it. We call it samasinkapa. Sama Sankapa is the right thought. That is what we call. Because in here, whenever you're aiming at the object, when it is arising, the objective, the objective about it is so that you could understand the object. You could understand the object. That understanding, what is understanding? Understanding, comprehending, knowing. All these words indicate the word pinya. Pinya means insight or wisdom. Insight or wisdom pinya. So whenever you are aiming, the objective is to understand. To understand is pinya. That's why this Sama Sinkapa is grouped in the wisdom group. For that reason. For that reason, it is grouped in the wisdom group. Sama Sankapa. So basically it is the same thing. You have to aim it. Not only you aim it, you must apply force so that it would be strict with the object. That's what it is aim. When your archer is aiming at the target, it's not only aim. You have to pull the bow strong enough so that the arrow can fly and hit the target. So there's a lot of pushing power. A lot of energy is involved. And the urge. And in here too, there is a lot of pushing power or pushing force is required. Not just aim. You have to have a pushing power or pushing force. What is this pushing power or pushing force? The technical word is called warriya, effort. But not ordinary effort. It's a strong effort, forceful effort, urgent effort. With that effort you have to push the mind where you are aiming. Whenever you are aiming, that is the laser focus in it. That's the aiming. That is the fixing, that is the pushing with full energy. In that detail, one must understand what aiming means. Or in palit sama sankapat. In palit and concentration meditation, it's called vitakat. They are the same, but they have a different objective. That's why two different words are used. Vitakat implying jhana, absorption, to be absorbed into it. Sama Sankapa implies understanding. So whenever you aim, know that in that aiming process there's wisdom. As such, one must understand the more you clearly understand there's more power in your practice, you want to do more. You want to try harder. That's why understanding the correct method is very important. So you aim. After you aim, you use a lot of strong, powerful forces, effort to push it. Only when you have the powerful force to push it, just like an archer, it will fly and it'll hit the target and it will stink into the target and stick. The same thing. Without that push, without that push, that the mind will not hit the target, which is the object, and even if it hit, it could slip away. It wouldn't stick to it. Slip away means at that moment you are redirected to another object, mostly thoughts, discursive thoughts, wandering thoughts. You slip into the wandering thoughts. That's what happened. Why? Because you do not have the forceful power of effort while you were directing. But when you have this strong, forceful power of effort, it hits the object and then it sticks with it and it stays with it. That sticking and staying with it, that is the moment that you are directly in touch with the object. And when you are directly in touch with the object, in other words, when you are face to face, engaging face to face with the object, you can investigate. Investigate, don't think in the sense of a detective investigating for a clue. And here is investigators trying to understand what it really is. Just by feeling, seeing, sensing, touching, smelling, everything that you have. But without any concept, any preconceived idea, you simply contact, rub, feel, touch, and know it. And that part is called sustained effort. Apply thought, samasankapa. And after that, when you actually stick to it, that is more like a sustained thought, which is in concentration meditation and called visarat. You are in contact. So even though in the scripture they do not say that vitaka and visara, apply thoughts and sustained thought. They don't describe those words for vipassana. Even though they don't describe it, we have the same kind of sense in this operation. Why don't they use the same word? Because in the concentration meditation, its objective is absorption. In vipassana meditation, its objective is understanding or binya. For that reason they have a different word, use different words. But the actual execution is the same qualities, the same manner. So that is how aiming comes in. You aim, there's a force, there's an energy, there's a push, and there is a target hitting and sticking with it. Sama Sankapa. And only when you do that then one can really understand the object. When you stick and rub and stay with the object as long as the duration or lifespan of the object. That way you can study that. That study is the understanding, that study is the knowing, and that study is the binya wisdom. That little moment you have the binya, wisdom, insight. When you stick there, you are there, you understand it. That's why this word, okay, we use the very general word, aim, which is sama sankapat, right thought. In the scripture, samasinkappa, right thought. But we'll just call it on our practical field, aiming. That aiming is so important. When you aim and when you hit the target, at that moment, what happened? Do you know what happened? At that moment of precise hitting, mindfulness established. Tell them there is no mindfulness. When the mind directly hits the object, okay, stick with the object, mindfulness is established. That's what happened. That is the moment mindfulness arises, sati. Before there is no mindfulness, you are still executing a process, a formula, a method. But when you do correctly, that's what happened. At that moment, when you hit it, mindfulness is established. And when you hit it, what happened? You stay and you stick with it. You stay and you stick with it without slipping away anywhere. Hit, stick, stay together. What does it mean? At that moment there is concentration. That's how concentration is developed. Only when the mindfulness is established, concentration can arise. Without establishing mindfulness, concentration cannot arise. At that moment, concentration arises. And whenever, wherever there is concentration, what is not there? Like if there's lots of fire, there's no water. If there is lots of water, there's no fire. If there is full concentration occupying the space, what is not there? What is there? There is the killisha, mental defilement. Mental defilement is not there. Whenever there is no mental defilement, there's peace, there's calm, tranquility. Whenever there is no mental defilement, there is calm, peace, and tranquility. That's why it said aiming is the most important thing. The aim. Only when you have the aim, precise aim, with full force effort. When you hit the object, it will hit the object because of the right aim and because of the forceful effort. In other words, because of the right thought, Sama Singhapa, coupled with the urgent effort, you hit the object. Suddenly, mindfulness established, suddenly, concentration is there, suddenly peace and calm is there. That's why we said when you have one moment of correct mindfulness or precise aiming in terms of execution is aiming. But the establishment, the first establishment is mindfulness. To establish mindfulness, you are aiming at. As a procedure is aiming. Do produce mindfulness. So whenever you have a one correct observation, there is one beautiful peace at that moment. Only one, only one moment. That's it. That's why it is so important to be able to do it correctly whenever you are practicing mindfulness inside. And if you don't have a correct mindfulness, if you don't have a strong and urgent effort, there is no correct mindfulness. You will still know, you will still hit, but it will slip away, it will drop off, it won't reach. And at that moment, there is no mindfulness, no concentration, no peace, no tranquility. For that moment, that is exactly what happened. Cause and effect, cause and effect, cause and effect. As such, one must understand that's why this aiming or correct observation is critical in our practice. This is just one, of course. One moment you established it. There's peace. Right now is more like a theory for you that peace and calm or lack of mental defilements, or no suffering. You can't experience it yet. But there's another word, that's why it comes up. Bhavana. Okay. First one is samasinkappa, precise, aiming, applied thought to establish mindfulness. And then second word in our procedure is called bhavana. What is bhavana? Bhavana is translated as mental development or mental culture. But how do they develop? How do they culture the mind? How do they develop the mind? By repeatedly exercising whatever produced the desired result you have. By repeatedly exercising. So in other words, in here, you must repeatedly have a correct aim, precise aim. Repeatedly, correct aim, precise aim, repeatedly correct aim, precise aim. You must repeat that one little correct moment into innumerable moments. Many, many moments. And that repetition of innumerable, countless moments of that perfect moment, establishment of mindfulness is bhavana. That is bhavana on a actual practical execution. One must know as such. Yes, you can read in the book bhavana and definition and this and that. But what is really important for the yogist practitioner is to be able to execute precisely and understand it precisely. That repetition of the correct aiming and the correct establishment of mindfulness must be repeated again and again and again and again. That repetition, that process is called bhavana, mental culture, mental development. That's bhavana. Why do we need to multiply again and again and again? The reason is this mindfulness, one moment, we already established there's a peace and calm in it, but we can't experience it. To be able to experience that peace and calm, it is more like uh little drops of water, raindrops. After they drop about a million, millions of drops, it can fill the bucket. One drop can do nothing, can't even observe. But when you have millions of drops fall into the bucket, it become full. The same thing. When you apply that precise correct aim and when you establish that correct mindfulness, samasati, repeatedly again and again and again, you will experience that calm. You will experience that peace. You will become that calm and peace. Because for a long period of time from many many present moments. There's no mental defilements. Everything is related. Cause and effect, cause and effect, cause and effect. That's why we have to practice again and again and again, hours after hours, day after days, months after months, if you are in an intensive meditation retreat. And don't get bored. Because even though the result, the objective is very lofty and unreached, seems like unreachable, the end of all suffering. The procedure that you have to practice is simple and straightforward. So some people even think, if it is so easy and so simple, how can we get such a great benefit? Some even doubt it. But no, just think about the little raindrops filling the bucket, little dream forbs filling the ocean. Not just the bucket. All raindrops collectively fill the ocean. That is bhavana, mental development, mental culture. That's why in Buddhism, in short, what do we say? What do you do? You do dana, generosity, sila, morality. Bhavana, mental development. If you have these three trainings, you reach the goal. But you must train and you must train and you must train and train. Generosity, train, which means repeatedly doing. Morality train repeatedly doing. Bhavana train repeatedly observe. Repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, never ending repeatedly. To perfect it, to become one with you. Sila Dana Sila Bhavana. That is Buddhism three. That is bhavana in action, what we do. We just say repeatedly already. But there's another word called Anu Pasana. Okay? We talk about Samasankapa, right aim. We talk about bhavana, mental culture, another word, anupasana. We heard that word quite often. Why? In our practice, there's four groups that we observe. Again, go back to observation. What are these four groups?

unknown 32:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:00

Mindfulness of the body. Rupa nupassana. Mindful ourselves of the feeling and sensation. Vidana. Mindfulness of the mind. Jitta nupassana. Mindfulness of the Dharma. Dhamma nupassana. See? Nupassana nupassana. When you add the two become nupassana separately. Let's say. Mindfulness of the body. Rupa nupassana. Rupa is one word. Anupasana is another word. Rupa is the materiality or matter. Anupasana. What is this? Anupasana. Anu means repeatedly. Anu is repeatedly. Pasana is observing. Investigating. Do you know the true nature, the real nature of the object. And here, what is the object? Rupa, materiality. The material or the matter that you are observing. You must know its true nature. That is nupassana. Repeatedly, patana. Observing to know the true nature of whatever object. Vedana nupassana. Vedana is feeling and sensation. Nupassana. You are observing this feeling and sensation so that you would truly understand the true nature as it really is about this pain or pleasure. Pain and pleasure. All these emotions, all these observations, and all the consciousness, the true nature of the consciousness by itself, the true nature of the mental factor by itself. To know their true nature you are observing. How? And look repeatedly. That is Chaitta Nupassana. You observe repeatedly to the consciousness and its associates. So is Dhamma Nupassana. Whatever you see, whatever you hear, whatever you smell, taste, touch. You repeatedly observe to know what seeing is, what hearing is, what smelling is, what touching is, what tasting is, what feeling is. That's a full foundation of mindfulness. Come from these four groups of objects. And when you observe these objects repeatedly to know its true nature, it's called nupassana. That in that way one needs to understand too. You are doing, what are you doing? I'm observing four foundations of mindfulness. What is that? Jita nupassana. What is Jaitana Nupassana? You must know with precision. You are observing the consciousness as its mental factors. Repeatedly, repeatedly, repeatedly, do know their true nature as it really is. That is Anupasana. So Buddha showed us from all angles. The first I explained, or the Buddha taught us with bhavana. And then here Buddha showed us the same thing in a different way through the word Anupassana. You go through the true nupassana. And that way one goes. And when you're observing repeatedly, okay, you observe the four groups of objects repeatedly again and again. Do you understand? And of course you observe. Whenever you observe must be correct and precise. Correct and precise. You precisely aim the object. And then not simply aiming. When in that aiming you must have a effort, a lot of effort, warrior must be there. When you hit it, what happened? Concentration is established. And as soon as uh when you hit it, mindfulness is established. As soon as this mindfulness established, mindfulness stick with the object. Sticking with the object, stipping with the same object is a one-pointedness. That means you are also establishing the concentration. Whenever there's a concentration, all the mental defilements run away. They are not there. They are not compatible. Mental defilements are far away. And when the mental defilements are far away, what happened? You began to see the object under observation of the present moment as his true nature. What does it mean as his true nature? Buddha used one word, the true nature, called sampa janyat. Sampajanya. In English, clear comprehension. What is sampajanya? What is clear comprehension? Let's say you're observing the rupa, material, matter. When you are observing the form. Let's say let's use what we are doing. We observe rising and falling. When you are rising or falling, we observe the abdomen or a tummy or valley, wherever the most prominent movement is. And if you are observing the movement, abdominal movement, if you sense the abdomen or the belly or tummy, then you are seeing the materiality as it is presented on a conventional sense. Conventional sense. Conventional usage. That means we haven't aimed with great force yet. We aim so we are there, but we don't have enough force so we cannot penetrate. And when you apply a great force, you look at it and then there's a slowly and slowly you don't see the tummy or stomach or abdomen and then you only see the movement. Increment of pressure one after the other. When you see the only the movement and this expansion of the abdomen, then you are seeing the true nature of the materiality. And sometimes you go and touch a brass bowl. If you look at it and everybody looks at it, what are you doing? Oh, I'm holding a brass bowl. What is a brass bowl? Here it is, this is a brass bowl. That is the conventional way of seeing and understanding the brass bow. But close your eyes and touch it and feel it and sense it. What do you sense? You can feel, see, first and foremost is the temperature, it's cold. Secondly, there's heart. That cold and hard is the true nature of that materiality or rupa, what we call a brass bowl. That is the true nature of materiality. So in short, whenever you are observing any form or any matter or any materiality or any part of your body, when you are seeing in terms of shape, form, size and color, you are simply touching the surface. But when you penetrate into the qualities of what that form represents, such as hard and soft, cold and hot, movement and vibration, wet, dispersion and cohesion and contraction and expansion, that is the true nature. And that's what we are practicing to understand. Of course, you understand it intellectually very much. But in this practice in Buddhism, you have to experience those qualities without concept, without word, without thinking, without logic, without philosophy, without reason. Every information collected is from the direct experience without using the conceptual word. That is called understanding the true nature. And that way you can carry on consciousness. What is consciousness? Consciousness is the ability to know an object. What is mental factors? These are the emotional factors and some of the mental characters. Those things, of course, you read the book, you can get it. You can understand it intellectually, but the quality of the consciousness must be experienced. And the mental factors must be experienced, and your understanding must come from the experience without conceptual words. That is penetrating into the object. That is understanding the object. That is sambajanya. Clear comprehension. That's what clear comprehension means. Sam correctly bajanya is observing and knowing or comprehending exactly as it is. That's sampajna. Buddha taught through the word sampa janya. We can go on and on of course. But in here, now we understand how to do what to do. Through different words. Or in Pali witad wishara and then bhavana mental development and then nupasana repeatedly observing and sambajana clearly comprehending. Sambhajana. If you want to hear the full sentence relating to sambajana, what Buddha said. But what it means is the the effort is so strong and powerful it produced heat to burn up the kilisa, to dried up the kilisa. But effort must be strong enough, hot enough to burn up the kilisa. Ordinary effort cannot burn up the kilesa. That is what it means by adapi. Really hot, iron hot. Sambajanya, correctly understanding, clearly comprehending satima through mindfulness. So one must establish a correct mindfulness using a strong, powerful effort so that one would clearly comprehend the true nature of mind and matter. Just one line. That's all Buddha thoughts. And then this line has been expanded, expanded, expounded throughout centuries by the various great teachers and give us many examples and stuff. And now here we are talking and discussing and learning about it. One must directly understand. One must directly understand. So in here, let's do the little exercise. In here, we talk about mind and matter, mind and matter. You must know the true nature of mind and matter. And also we talk about must be at the present moment, must be precise. What is mind and matter? Let's say at the sitting position, we can use an example. You have an open palm. Okay. And if you want to close the palm, if you want to close the palm, your palm will be close. Okay? Open palm. You want to close the palm or make a fist. You want to. What is that you want to? You want to is the your intention. Your intention to make a fist. Or your desire to make a fist. You want to make a fist. What is this wanting to desire? That is consciousness. Intention. Wanting to close the palm or make a fist is the consciousness. And then what happened? As soon as you want, what happened? This open palm starting to close and become a fist. That's what it is. So when it happened, no, simply somebody look at it. Oh he's he's making a fist. That's it. In conventional sense. But if you look at truly, if you observe it truly and precisely, wanting to make a fist, is Nama consciousness. And actual actions and behavior of closing the palms is the rupa materiality, which is form and manner. The form, shape, size, and color. Manner is how this materiality is operating. That's manner. So there are two things. And this intention, quite a number of yogis have a difficulty to know exactly what intention is. So I'll give you as an example. Let's say we can say intention, closing. Intention, closing. Just uh repeat it. Nothing, it doesn't really make any sense. Just keep your palms open. And you want to close your hand and really observe. Wanting to close your hands. Can you really sense that wanting to close your hands? Try and sense it. You don't have to be sitting two hours to meditate. You just at any place, anytime you have about a minute free time, two minutes free time. Just open your palms and sense that desire to close the end. Just experiment several times. At one moment, you will exactly on the dot with precision, the desire to close the end, and you know at that moment suddenly the fingers jock and start to move. Eventually you will get it. But at the beginning, you will miss. Sometime you will be in the future, which means you are expecting what is going to happen about this intention, and you try to think what that intention could be. Your perception about that intention which is in the future, that is not correct. And also, oh intention, but your hands already moved. You're observing the intention which is in the past. You can't. But you must be instantly on the same dot. And to do that, this is very tool, easy tool, and need a very short period. Every day practice that, that observing that intention. And at one moment you will be right on the top. The moment the intention arises, and at that moment you know the intention. That's intention. That intention, that precisely knowing, at that moment you know your consciousness. You have experienced your consciousness. And then suddenly, because of that intention, the palms start to close. Closing, closing, closing. When it's closing, of course, if you want to see with the form and shape, the fingers are bending and bending and bending and really become tight fists. Conventional, making a tight fist. Another way, bend it slowly. You can see the little tension, little pressure in many different specs. A bit of a stiffness. And if you have an arthritis, a little bit of a pain, and there's a tightness, and there's a touching, the fingers touching the palm, the touch sensation, and then become really tight pressure, and then fingers digging into the palm. There's some sort of a pain. That is knowing the material as it really is, not the fingers bending and making a fist. Movement, stiffness, pressure, tension, pain, tightness, pain. That is making a fist. As it really is. That is sambajanya. As such, one must know. So this is just in one example. In your daily life, these kind of small little things, you have many things. Create your own and see this is Nama, this is rupa. This is Nama, this is ruba. I want to go upstairs. At that moment, if you know I want to go upstairs, that is the Nama. And this whole body, glong, glong, glong, glong, climbing up, that is rupa. Oh, this is Nama, this is Rupa. Doesn't matter. In some aspect, you will be more like a reflective mode, not with precision. In some aspect you will with precision. But regardless, even the reflective mode, knowing this is Nama, this is Rupa, the whole day long you, whatever you are doing, you simply know this is Nama, this is Rupa, this is Nama, this is Rupa. And suddenly you're clinging and holding onto that I, starting to get loosened. But even that is on a reflective mode. Reflective mode, it's sometimes you are a little early, sometimes you're a little late than the real action. But if you exercise again and again, a new rock again and again, bhavana again and again, like you are practicing shooting an arrow at the target at first. No, after you shoot about 5,000 times, you become skillful. Just like that, you miss, miss, miss, miss so many times, but at one moment you'll start catching that precise moment of the intention and precisely how it is moving. And then again, repeatedly, repeatedly, anew, anew, anew, anew, eventually what happened was you will hit the target precisely more skillfully, more skillfully. You don't have to sit and meditate, you don't have to walk and meditate. In your daily life, whatever you do, try and prescribe that. First of all, I'll put it bluntly, reflect the Nama and Rupa with all actions. But keeping the mind inclined, I am going to hit the target and do it. That is a new passana that will give you sambajana. May all of you be able to practice satiparana vipassana in all posture at every moment and may you be able to attain cessation of all form of suffering as soon as possible. Sadhu Sadhu Buddham Bujemi Dham Bujemi Sangam Bujemi.

SPEAKER_00 57:48

Thank you very much.