[xyznicks]

Greetings


I have recently been reading the "Great Discourse at Assapura" sutta which outlines the whole Buddhist practice from start to finish (very handy )

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....039.than.html

However I was hoping to discuss one section of it


Abandoning the hindrances

"And what more is to be done? There is the case where a monk seeks out a secluded dwelling: a forest, the shade of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle grove, the open air, a heap of straw. After his meal, returning from his alms round, he sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore.

"Abandoning covetousness with regard to the world, he dwells with an awareness devoid of covetousness. He cleanses his mind of covetousness. Abandoning ill will and anger, he dwells with an awareness devoid of ill will, sympathetic with the welfare of all living beings. He cleanses his mind of ill will and anger. Abandoning sloth and drowsiness, he dwells with an awareness devoid of sloth and drowsiness, mindful, alert, percipient of light. He cleanses his mind of sloth and drowsiness. Abandoning restlessness and anxiety, he dwells undisturbed, his mind inwardly stilled. He cleanses his mind of restlessness and anxiety. Abandoning uncertainty, he dwells having crossed over uncertainty, with no perplexity with regard to skillful mental qualities. He cleanses his mind of uncertainty.

.....

I was wondering if this was a teaching in Anapanasati, since it begins with


"There is the case where a monk seeks out a secluded dwelling: a forest, the shade of a tree, a mountain, a glen, a hillside cave, a charnel ground, a jungle grove, the open air, a heap of straw. After his meal, returning from his alms round, he sits down, crosses his legs, holds his body erect, and brings mindfulness to the fore"


Which is how the beginning of Anapanasati is always described


Im pretty sure it does mean this mediation but thought we could discuss just in case another meditation could be meant



metta

[southernplayer99]

Greetings


I have recently been readin the "Great Discourse at Assapura" sutta which outlines the whole Buddhist practice from start to finish (very handy )

Thanks, just starting to read it... but I really have found wonderfull the begining...

The Blessed One said, "'Contemplative, contemplatives': That is how people perceive you. And when asked, 'What are you?' you claim that 'We are contemplatives.'

Thats it! Just Beautifull...

What do you practice?

To contemplate



PS: More later

[Nfxutkpa]

I reached this aspect of the sutta:

"Wakefulness "And what more is to be done? 'We will be devoted to wakefulness. During the day, sitting & pacing back & forth, we will cleanse the mind of any qualities that would hold it in check. During the first watch of the night,[2] sitting & pacing back & forth, we will cleanse the mind of any qualities that would hold it in check. During the second watch of the night[3] reclining on his right side, we will take up the lion's posture, one foot placed on top of the other, mindful, alert, with the mind set on getting up [either as soon as we awaken or at a particular time]. During the last watch of the night,[4] sitting & pacing back & forth, we will cleanse the mind of any qualities that would hold it in check': That's how you should train yourselves."

Can somebody clarify what is meant by this? The numbered quotations given for the sutta gives a kind of horary. The quotation numered as [3] span from 10 pm to 2 am: is this a time to sleep or to still be awaken? And then number [4] span from 2 am to dawn: Is this a time for meditation?

Help is needed...

[BV6lwvXf]

I was wondering if this was a teaching in Anapanasati, since it begins with...

Yes it is. It is the same teaching.

Anapanasati is mindfulness with breathing rather than mindfulness of breathing.

Mindfulness keeps the mind free from hindrances & unwholesome qualities. Mindfulness keeps right view in the mind.

It is not possible to be 'mindful' of the breathing because, as 'memory', sati (mindfulness) can only recollect mental objects.

Often people think the world is crazy. The Buddhist world is more crazier, when its misapprehensions regarding mindfulness of breathing.

Kind regards

[AnimeThat]

Can somebody clarify what is meant by this? The numbered quotations given for the sutta gives a kind of horary. The quotation numered as [3] span from 10 pm to 2 am: is this a time to sleep or to still be awaken? Number three is laying in the lions posture while maintaining mindfulness. One is still meditation. I cannot remember if sleep occurs here or not. From what I remember (though I may be wrong) there is a small amount of sleep here.




And then number [4] span from 2 am to dawn: Is this a time for meditation?
Yes this is the returning to walking and sitting meditation again

[M_Marked]

Thanks Element

[ptmQqoxw]

One is mindful to abandon wrong view & to enter & remain in right view: This is one's right mindfulness.

One is mindful to abandon wrong resolve & to enter & remain in right resolve: This is one's right mindfulness.

One is mindful to abandon wrong speech & to enter & remain in right speech: This is one's right mindfulness.

One is mindful to abandon wrong action & to enter & remain in right action: This is one's right mindfulness.

One is mindful to abandon wrong livelihood & to enter & remain in right livelihood: This is one's right mindfulness.

Thus these three qualities — right view, right effort & right mindfulness — run & circle around right view...right resolve...right speech...right action...right livelihood.


Maha-cattarisaka Sutta: The Great Forty

[appletango]

Element

Is your above quote connected with anapansati? From what I understand, and what I think your saying, one has to enter into right view in order for right mindfulness, concentration and right liberation to come to be


This ties in with not forcing attention to the breath, not thinking about the breath and not being mindful of breath but resting in mindfulness to which the breath then manifests and then there is progression through the stages of anapanasati. Otherwise one enters wrong view which is tied up with adverting and wanting, grasping etc


???

[Anneskobsen]

This ties in with not forcing attention to the breath, not thinking about the breath and not being mindful of breath but resting in mindfulness to which the breath then manifests and then there is progression through the stages of anapanasati. Otherwise one enters wrong view which is tied up with adverting and wanting, grasping, etc

Yes. This is my understanding of the Blessed One's teaching.



Further, one cannot be "mindful of the breath", that is impossible. The mind can be 'conscious' or 'aware' of the breath but the mind cannot be mindful of the breath because mindfulness is 'sati' or memory. The mind can remember to watch or be conscious of the breath but the mind cannot directly 'remember' the breath. In short, there is no such thing as 'mindfulness of breathing'. Such a thing is an impossiblity.



MN 119 is the Kayagatasati Sutta. Sati = mindfulness, Kaya = body, Gata = connected with, referring to, concerning, relating to.

[AntonioXYZ]

Also, one cannot be "mindful of the breath", that is impossible. The mind be conscious or aware of the breath but the mind cannot be mindful of the breath because mindfulness is 'sati' or memory. The mind can remember to watch or be conscious of the breath but the mind cannot 'remember' the breath. In short, there is no such thing as 'mindfulness of breathing'. Such as thing is an impossiblity.
You raise a good point.

I found that when there was wrong view then "I" wanted to be mindful and lapsed into just thinking, as well as delight and frustration

In essence there was no level of sunatta

As I see it and from what I have learnt from Aj. Buddhadasa, anapansati is a progression in emptiness. The beginning of the practice with Right View is one level

[Stainditnew]

Indeed.

Buddhadasa correctly said:

As for samadhi, an empty mind is the supreme samadhi, the supremely focused firmness of mind. The straining and striving sort of samadhi isn't the real thing and the samadhi which aims at anything other than non-clinging to the five khandas is micchasamadhi (wrong or perverted samadhi).

You should be aware that there is both micchasamadhi and sammasamadhi (right or correct samadhi). Only the mind that is empty of grasping at and clinging to 'I' and 'mine' can have the true and perfect stability of sammasamadhi. One who has an empty mind has correct samadhi.

'Heart-wood from the Bo Tree'

In SN 48.9, the Buddha in the same way advised right concentration is the mind with relinquishment as it sole object (vossaggarammanam karitva).

MN 117 is deliberately placed in the suttas before MN 118. MN 117 is the actual instruction that forms the basis of practising MN 118.

Kind regards



[size=10pt]"And how are the seven factors for awakening developed & pursued so as to bring clear knowing & release to their culmination?

There is the case where a monk develops mindfulness as a factor for awakening dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment (vossaggaparināmiṃ). He develops investigation of dhammas as a factor for awakening... persistence as a factor for awakening... rapture as a factor for awakening... serenity as a factor for awakening... concentration as a factor for awakening... equanimity as a factor for awakening dependent on seclusion, dependent on dispassion, dependent on cessation, resulting in relinquishment.

Anapanasati Sutta Bhikkhus, how do the seven factors of awakening that one has developed and made much of perfect knowledge (vijja) and liberation (vimutti)?

Bhikkhus, a bhikkhu in this Training develops sati-sambojjhanga that depends on viveka (solitude, aloneness), that depends on viraga (fading away), that depends on nirodha (quenching), that leads to vossagga (dropping away, letting go).

Buddhadasa Vossagga [=ossagga; ava+sṛj] relinquishing, relaxation; handing over, donation, gift (see on term as ethical Bdhgh at K.S. i.321) D iii.190 (issariya˚ handing over of authority), 226; S iv.365 sq.; v.63 sq., 351 (˚rata fond of giving); A ii.66 (id.); iii.53 (id.); Ps i.109; ii.24, 117; J vi.213 (kamma˚); Nett 16; Vbh 229, 350; Vism 224; VbhA 317. -- sati -- vossagga relaxation of attention, inattention, indifference DhA i.228; iii.163, 482; iv.43. -- pariṇāmi, maturity of surrender S i.88.

PTS Dictionary

[topbonuscasino]

Mindfulness keeps right view in the mind. This got me thinking. If there is Right View then there is Right Mindfulness and if there is Right Mindfulness then there is Right View?

[forotis]

Yes.

The Buddha said: "these three qualities — right view, right effort & right mindfulness — run & circle around [the factors of the path]"

If the mind is watching the breathing but without an attitude of relinquishment, non-attachment or non-craving, that is not right mindfulness

The be right mindfulness (samma sati), sampajanna (clear comprehension, ready wisdom) must also be functioning

[BoarmomorurrY]

The be right mindfulness (samma sati), sampajanna (clear comprehension, ready wisdom) must also be functioning

Hi Element!

Seems that Mindfulness is a condition for Right View, right?

I know that MN141 is not the issue of this thread but it speaks about Right View so, thinking it is a kind of "step by step" teaching, Right View is at the very begining of the Fourth Noble Truth; so to reach this step we have been throug the other three where is needed mindfulness in a sincere and insightfull reading of each of them. Since thre very first one, clear conmprehension is an absolut condition to go through the rest of them.

[SpeavaJap]

Hi all,

At the end of the Maha Assupara Sutta it is given a section called "The Three Knowledges" which the first two talk about recalling past lives and rebirth as follows:

"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to knowledge of the recollection of past lives.[5] He recollects his manifold past lives [...] and:

"With his mind thus concentrated, purified, and bright, unblemished, free from defects, pliant, malleable, steady, and attained to imperturbability, he directs and inclines it to knowledge of the passing away and re-appearance of beings. He sees — by means of the divine eye, purified and surpassing the human — beings passing away and re-appearing, and he discerns how they are inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate in accordance with their kamma: 'These beings — who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech, and mind, who reviled the noble ones, held wrong views and undertook actions under the influence of wrong views — with the break-up of the body, after death, have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower realms, in hell. [...] What is meant here by a recollection of past lives...? A kind of special ability or a way to be mindfull about the many becomings we experience day by day.

As a personal experience, through the reading of this first knowledge of the sutta, I felt that it can lead us to be mindfull about our endless becomings we have had through this very life and also through a day by day span.

For the second one, I can experience, through a carefull reading of it, that this warns us to be mindfull about anatta, that keeps any entity arising and fading and that the unfortunate ones arises and fades also according to the wrongness of their understandings or the state of mind they keep.

Any comments?

[yQvpyNt3]

What is meant here by a recollection of past lives...? A kind of special ability or a way to be mindfull about the many becomings we experience day by day. A more accurate translation is "past abodes" or "past homes". This is in relation to the memory of the many times that clinging gave birth to "I" in various mental states and situations


metta

[oscilsoda]

This is in relation to the memory of the many times that clinging gave birth to "I" in various mental states and situations

Great Craig,

Thanks,