6 posts from 2007

Activities Required for Meditation Practice

After having selected the appropriate meditation object and having chosen a calm and quiet environment suited for the practice, on the day one actually begins one’s own meditation practice in order to develop the mind, one has to finish the basic activities required in the following order:

1. Cutting down worries

2. Cutting down small worries

3. Purification of one’s precepts

4. Making a formal offering of one’s life to the Buddha and teacher

5. Recollection of the Triple Gem

6. Extension of loving-kindness

7. Recollection of death

8. Recollection of the truth of life

9. Recollection of one’s own merit

10. Making a vow to practice meditation

In this chapter, only the first three will be explained.

Cutting down the 10 Palibodha (Worries)

“Palibodha” means “to worry about, to be uneasy”. Anyone with palibodha can hardly practice meditation since one cannot achieve the state of Samadhi because the mind, disturbed by worries and uneasiness, is impeded at least only during the actual time of practice. In the Path of Purity (Visudhimagga ) it enumerates the 10 palibodha as follows:

Avaso ca kulam labho gano kammena pancamam

addhanam nati abadho gantho iddhitime tasa.

meaning:

The 10 palibodha are : the residence, clan, gift, companion, job, journey, relatives, illness, education, and power.

(Visuddhimagga 1/112)

1. Worry about the residence. If one is a monk, then one worries about the temple, one’s kuti (house of Buddhist monk in a monastery) and one’s belongings. If one is a layman, then one worries about one’s house and property, that it may be damaged, stolen, or may need to be cleaned or maintained.

2. Worry about the clan. If one is a monk, one worries about the family or the sponsored family, being afraid that those acquaintances may come to visit during one’s absence or if one does not pay usual visits, then they may become estranged or change their mind to sponsor other monks. Or if those acquaintances are ill or are having ceremonies then there will be no one available to advise them.

If one is a layman, then one worries about not being able to pay a visit or give advice to those who may be ill or may be having troubles. One is afraid of becoming alienated from the people that one used to be so close to before.

3. Worry about gifts. One is worried about the income or one’s usual benefits that may be reduced or lost because of one’s absence.

4. Worry about companions. One is worried about not being able to help or to give advice to friends, students, teachers, subordinates, etc. who have long been one’s acquaintances.

5. Worry about the job. One is worried about one’s job at hand (like writing a book), giving lectures, taking care of constructions, etc. One is afraid that the neglected job may not be finished and will cause a big loss.

As a layman, one may be worried about the job, that it may be discontinued. For example a farmer is worried about the field, a seller about the trade, an officer about the civil work. Everyone is worried about his own job, afraid that if they are away, the job will be left undone.

6. Worry about journey. One is worried about one’s planned vacation or business travel.

7. Worry about relatives. One is worried that during one’s absence one’s parents, grandparents, or close relatives may get into some troubles or have some illness, that one may be unable to help in time.

8. Worry about illness. One is worried about the existing illness that it may become worse if one discontinuous to cure it, so one wants to have it cured first.

9. Worry about education. A student may be worried about not being able to finish his education or may be afraid that he will not be accepted to further his education.

10. Worry about power. One is worried that one’s authority will decrease or will be transferred to others if it is not being utilized.

It should not be too hard to eradicate these worries from the mind if one considers that these worries are far less important than the result obtained from the meditation practice and that to be away from those things will only be temporary; one will come back to do everything shortly afterward. If a lot of worries exist, one can meditate with fruitless result. So it is important to decide to cut down all worries before practicing.

Cutting Down Small Worries

A few days before or on the day one begins to practice, one should be free from small worries and should remember:

1. To take a shower so that one feels perfectly clean on the day of practice.

2. To wash the robe (for a monk) or the dress (for laymen) so that one feels that it is clean.

3. To clean personal utensils so that one will not be worried about them.

4. For the monk or man, to have shaved one’s head and beard if they are too long.

5. To cut the nails if they are too long.

6. To prepare enough medicine for the whole period of practice.

7. To prepare all necessities for the whole period of practice.

To practice meditation, the period of practice should be predetermined to suit each person or group, for example, 7 days, 10 days, 15 days, one month, two months, three months, or six months so that the practice will be intensive and continuous for the best results.

On the other hand, somebody may be practicing once or twice a day for half an hour or an hour in the early morning or just before going to bed. Any method can be chosen according to one’s comfort and ability. However, those like the monks who practice in the meditation center may spend long hours each day meditating and will sleep for only 4-6 hours at most; this is done in order to speed the development of the mind. Some meditators may continue controlling their minds to stick with the meditation object all the time that they are awake, being mindful and aware of everything they do.

These worries, however small, have to be cut down completely since it will be hard to control the unstable mind.

Purification of One’s Precepts

Before practice, the meditator should purify one’s Sila (moral precepts) or request for the precepts, i.e., if one is a monk or a novice, then one should confess the transgression of one’s precept(s). A layman should have requested for the 5 (or 8) precepts, whatever one prefers, from the monk(s). This is because Sila is a base for having Samadhi, and Samadhi is a base for the rising of supreme wisdom (Panna). This Triple Study is closely interconnected, as mentioned in the Pali scripture:

Silpaparibhavito samadhi mahapphalo hoti mahanisamso.

Samadhiparibhavita panna mahapphala hoti mahanisamsa.

Pannaparibhavitam cittam sammadeva asavehi vimuccati.

meaning:

“With sound basis of Sila (or precepts), the full benefits of Samadhi can be obtained. With sound basis of Samadhi, the full benefits of Panna can be obtained. And with sound basis of Panna, the mind will be righteously and completely free from the most delicate kind of defilement (asava).”

Therefore, Sila is the most important cause for Samadhi.

The Benefits of Sila (Virtue)

The practitioners of meditation should make an effort to keep pure the precepts, realizing the danger of the lack of precepts and the benefits of strictly observing them. Sila promotes a lot of good quality, as the Buddha said:

“Monks, should a bhikkhu desire to be dear and precious, to be respected and honored by his fellow-monks, he should fulfill the Sila.”

(The Path of Purity, Part I, p.11)

One impressive description of the benefits of Sila is in Visudhimagga (the Path of Purity) that:

The true religion gives the noble sons

No other stay than virtue. Who can tell

The limit of her power? Not Ganges stream

Nor Yamuna nor babbling Sarabhu,

Nor Aciravati nor Mahi’s flood,

On purity on earth the taints of men.

But virtue’s water can remove the stain

Of all things living. Necklaces or pearl,

Rain-bearing breezes, yellow sandalwood,

Gems, nor soft rays of moonlight can destroy

Heart-burnings of a creature. She alone-

Virtue well-guarded, noble, cool, avails.

What scent else blows with an against the wind?

What stairway leads like her to heaven’s gate?

What door into Nibbana’s city opens?

The Sage whose virtue is his ornament

Outshines the pomp and pearls of jeweled kings.

In virtuous men virtue destroys self-blame,

Begetting joy and praise. Thus should be known

The sum of all the discourse on the power

Of virtue, root of merit, slayer of faults.

(The Path of Purity, Part I, p.12)

Therefore, meditators should purify their precepts or request for the precepts before practice and throw away all worries. Then they can be sure to obtain the result appropriate to their efforts. 

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Mind Development

All nations of the world have plans to develop their lands in various ways and have targets for development to acquire wealth and strength so that the people of that land can live happily and prosper. It is believed that development of one’s own country is of the greatest importance and most necessary for the government to carry out. One cannot just let it be! If this is so, then the country has to have its own plan of development.

In the Buddha’s Teachings it is the same because the Lord Buddha has laid down the plan or method for development, but it is a way of developing the individual’s life and directly emphasizes mind development. For when the mind has been developed, then the person is said to be developed too. Thus all kinds of development for welfare and happiness will be accomplished easily, including the welfare of all human beings. Then the world will be peaceful and happy without wars and civil disturbances. Humanity in all societies will live together in a friendly way having loving-kindness and compassion (metta-karuna), sympathizing and helping each other. The more the mind is developed, the greater the happiness that will accrue to the world.

But while the world is in great turmoil regarding politics, economics, and society in general, as itWQ is now, most people are inclined to develop the material things, including body rather than mind. From this is born the state of permanent crisis in the world and it seems as though it will increase with time. Should there be no crisis in politics and economics, then there would be no mental and nervous diseases among people, especially in the great cities of the world. When compared with earlier times, we see that in today’s world there is much more modern technology that has been developed to increase human happiness, enjoyment, and comfort. On the other hand, mind development has decreased considerably; at least it cannot keep pace with the former.

Thus it is necessary for people to be more aware of mind development, firstly developing their own minds and secondly, pointing out and making mind development known to other human beings, in the same way nations try to develop their own countries. If everyone will develop their minds according to the Buddha’s Teaching, it is certain that the world will have peace and happiness, a vast improvement over the current state of world affairs.

What is Mind Development?

Padhana means ‘growth, development’ from the Pali language ‘bhavana’. It is a new word referring to increase and prosperity and can be used to imply both mind and material development, such as rural development, national development, mind and knowledge development, the way of developing the mind and so on. But the true word for mind development in the Buddha’s Teachings is “bhavana” which means bringing into existence, arising, making prosperous, developing or increasing. For example, samatha bhavana – Calm meditation or tranquillity and vipassana bhavana – Insight meditation, etc.

So in general, mind development in Buddhist terms is called bhavana as we find it mentioned in the Mahasaccaka Sutta where the Lord Buddha instructed Saccaka (the Jain who regarded himself as a learned man) as follows:

“Oh, Aggivessana (the Buddha addressed him by clan-name) what have you heard about mind-development (Cittabhavana)?” When Saccaka could not reply, the Buddha said “Aggivessana, for the noble disciples of this teaching in the dhamma and vinaya who have already developed their minds, when happiness has occurred they just experience that happiness, having no delight in it; and when that happiness disappears and dukkha arises they are not sad and depressed. They do not create difficulties for themselves. They do not lament, nor do they grieve. They do not fall into delusion. So Aggivessana, when happiness occurs to each one of them, their minds are not disturbed by that because they have developed the body already. Whereas, when dukkha arises their minds are also not disturbed since their minds have been developed. A person who has developed the body and the mind is like this.”

(Middle Collection, Discourse No. 36)

The ways of developing both the body and the mind, called Kammatthana or bhavana, are in the Buddha’s Teachings and will now be explained.

Kammatthana or bhavana (Mind Development)

Kammatthana is inner development which is most important in the Buddha’s Teachings so that one who does not understand it or does not practice it cannot be said to have known the Buddha’s Teachings.

Kammatthana means literally the basis (thana) of work (kamma) but it refers to work of the mind which is of the highest value, the most excellent work of the mind. It is the work that raises to the high level of development of the mind because the mind which does not practice kammatthana is a mind untrained and likely to be distracted and worried, weak and with no efficiency. From it sufferings (dukkha) will easily arise both for oneself and for others generally. This is like a person who has no work and so cannot prosper in his life because he has let time pass by without benefits, whereas the mind that has kammatthana has the highest value; its practice is the mind's work. This kind of work which we have called kammatthana has another name in the Buddha’s Teachings, that is, bhavana, as mentioned above in the way of developing the mind. In Buddhism, the word ‘bhavana’ has been used in the Buddha’s time until now whereas Kammatthana has been used in the later time, not mentioned in the Tripitaka (the Three Collections of the Buddha’s Teachings).

Kammatthana or bhavana (Mind Development)

In the Buddhist meditation there are two types of bhavana or Kammatthana. They are:

(I) Tranquillity Meditation (Samatha bhavana)

(II) Insight Meditation (Vipassana bhavana)

The purpose of practicing tranquillity meditation is to make the mind peaceful, while that of insight meditation is to acquire wisdom so as to get rid of ignorance (Avijja) which is the root-cause of all mental defilements.

The Lord Buddha explained the reason for practicing these of two types meditation as follows:

“What is the practice of tranquillity meditation for?”

“For the development of the mind.”

“What is the development of the mind for?”

“For ridding oneself of lust.”

“What is the development of insight for?”

“For development of wisdom.”

“What is the development of wisdom for?”

“For ridding oneself of ignorance.”

(Numerical (Anguttara) Collection, Book of the Ones)

Tranquillity Meditation (Samatha bhavana)

Samatha bhavana (Tranquillity meditation) is the method used to make the mind peaceful; the Dhamma (doctrine) which makes the mind free from mental hindrances. So the practicing of Tranquillity Meditation is just the training of the mind itself (Citta-sikkha), and this is for the purpose of being rid of the middle grade of defilements. In the way of training in Buddhism it is called the training of the mind (citta in Pali) to concentrate the mind because the concentration of the mind is called “Samadhi”.

When Samadhi is translated it means literally ‘firm establishment’, that is to say, the firm establishing of the mind, so that it is firm and not distracted. Just as a post deeply sunk into the ground will take any load without moving, so the mind established in Samadhi is like that. It is not ruffled nor distracted. Even if an external stimulus arises, Samadhi can preserve its nature. Such a kind of mind is of an inestimable value.

Samadhi or the way of mind development is not found only in the Buddha’s Teaching. Other religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity, and Islamism also mention it. Quite a number of physicians practice meditation. However, the method and goals of the different practitioners are not the same.

Some groups of people use their power of samadhi to kill or harm others and this is the source of ‘black magic’ in the world. In the Buddha’s Teaching this is called Miccha-samadhi, that is, ‘wrong concentration’ and it is condemned by Buddhists as wrong and harmful to both the doers and others as well. But many aspirants to samadhi make use of its strength for beneficial ends for themselves and for others. For instance, they wish to increase their own happiness and also to help others by keeping them from danger and so on. If this kind of samadhi is used in magic then it must be called ‘white magic’.

It is important to note that samadhi, in the Buddha’s Teaching, is practiced with the aim of ridding oneself of defilements. Hence, it is known as Samma-samadhi or ‘right concentration’, in accordance with the Buddhist doctrines. So the way of practicing meditation which is described below is right concentration, for it is the way to exercise and develop the mind constructively.

In fact, human beings have a greater ability than they think they have. If they can concentrate their minds they will see the marvels of their own minds. The current of the mind is like that of water for when it flows in a narrowed channel it has great strength. Or it is like the light from a concentrated source, which is not the same as scattered light. Just as scientists can concentrate a beam of light, so the meditator can concentrate the power of the mind by training the mind in the right direction.

Two kinds of Samadhi

Samadhi or Tranquillity meditation in Buddhism can be divided into two kinds:

(1) Access concentration (Upacara-samadhi)

(2) Absorption concentration (Appana-samadhi)

(Visuddhimagga 1/105)

As we find mentioned in the Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga), access concentration is one of merely touching or near to entering absorption (Jhana) but it is not steady and firm. The mind that has entered this Samadhi has already eliminated the five mental hindrances but the five factors of Jhana, especially one-pointedness, have not appeared clearly because the mind is not firmly concentrated. Even though it has bliss and peacefulness, the mind in this concentration has not reached absorption.

Absorption concentration is concentration that is steady and fixed with a single object. The five factors of Jhana include initial application (Vitakka), sustained application (Vicara), rapture (Piti), bliss (Sukkha) and one-pointedness (Ekaggata), and they appear clearly in this concentration. One who has reached Absorption concentration has completely attained Jhana. In the Buddhist concentration practice Jhana has eight stages and it depends upon the ability of each aspirant as to which of these will be reached. One who experiences this samadhi lives on bliss and may remain their concentration without resting for many hours or even days.

The mind of such a person conquers the middle form of defilements completely. Such a person enjoys bliss of the highest degree in the mind and has developed himself in the middle level of the Buddha’s Teachings. But one who wants to develop the mind to experience this samadhi should study the methods of meditation practice first. They are explained as follows.

Objects of Tranquillity Meditation

Those which cause the mind to become peaceful are called mental objects of Tranquillity meditation and are the methods of making the mind peaceful. Those who want to develop Tranquillity meditation must understand the objects of meditation first and then they will be able to practice and obtain good results. This is like a soldier who goes to war. First he has to train in all military knowledge before going to the battle field. However, this comparison differs in the point that the soldier has only to fight the outward enemy while the practitioner of meditation must fight the inward enemy.

In the Books of Abhidhammatthasangaha and Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification), there are mentioned objects of Tranquillity meditation which are methods for practicing this kind of meditation. Altogether there are forty in number which are then divided into seven groups as follows:

1) 10 Kasina (objects for concentrated attention),

2) 10 Asubha (stages of unattractiveness of the body),

3) 10 Kinds of recollection (Anussati),

4) 4 Divine Abodes (Brahmavihara),

5) Perception of the Repulsiveness of Food (Aharepatikulasanna),

6) Determination of the Four Great Elements (Catudhatuvavatthana),

7) Formless states (Arupadamma).

The Ten Kasina:

1) Earth-kasina, having earth as the object

2) Water-kasina, having water as the object

3) Fire-kasina, having fire as the object

4) Air-kasina, having air as the object

These four are called the essential-kasina.

5) Green-kasina, having green as the object

6) Yellow-kasina, having yellow as the object

7) Red-kasina, having red as the object

8) White-kasina, having white as the object

There four are called the color-kasina.

9) Light-kasina, having light as the object

10) Space-kasina, having space as the object

The Ten Asubha:

There are ten stages of the decomposition of the body as follows:

1) A swollen corpse (Uddhumataka)

2) A blue-black corpse (Nilaka)

3) A festering corpse (Vipubbaka)

4) A dismembered corpse (Vicchiddaka)

5) A corpse hewed and scattered by animals (Vikkhayitaka)

6) A cut-up scattered corpse (Vikkhittaka)

7) A cut and dismembered corpse (Hatavikkhittaka)

8) A bleeding corpse (Lohitaka)

9) A worm-infested corpse (Puluvaka)

10) A skeleton (Atthika)

The Ten Recollections (Anussati)

There are ten subjects to be recollected:

1) Recollection of the Buddha (Buddhanussati)

2) Recollection of the Dhamma (Dhammanussati)

3) Recollection of the Sangha (Sanghanussati)

4) Recollection of the Virtue (Silanussati)

5) Recollection of the Generosity (Caganussati)

6) Recollection of the Deities (Devatanussait)

7) Recollection of the Death (Maranasati)

8) Recollection of the Body (Kayagatasati)

9) Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati)

10) Recollection of the Niravana (Upasamanussati)

The Four Divine Abodes (Bramavihara)

The Four Divine Abodes are:

1) Loving-kindness (Metta)

2) Compassion (Karuna)

3) Sympathetic Joy (Mudita)

4) Equanimity (Upekkha)

Perception of the Repulsiveness of Food (Aharepatikulasanna)

The purpose of the contemplation of food is to realize its repulsiveness.

Determination of the Four Great Elements (Catudhatuvavatthana)

The method of dividing the different parts of the body so as to see them as only these four elements, that is earth, water, fire and air, and just seeing them as unattractive.

Four Formless States (Arupadhamma)

These are the four formless Jhanas:

1) Infinity of space—attending to space as infinite

(Akasanancayatana)

2) Infinity of consciousness—attending to consciousness as infinite

(Vinnanancayatana)

3) Nothingness—attending to formlessness so that there is not even a

little of the thought of it (Akincannayatana)

4) Neither-perception-nor-not-perception—attending to the third

formless state knowing ‘This is very fine, this is very

subtle’ without being able to say ‘This is perception, this

is not perception’ (Nevasannanasannayatana).

The person who wishes to develop Tranquillity meditation should study these until they understand the methods of practice, which are the calm related to these forty subjects. When one has tried for some time, one will know which objects are appropriate to oneself and to one’s character. Then one should concentrate on that meditation object. In Thailand and in many other countries, people prefer Mindfulness of Breathing (Anapanasati) over all others because it is a method for which the object is found easily and it is suitable for most people. Not only is it an object for Tranquillity meditation, but it can also be used for Insight meditation.

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The Triple Study of Mental Training

The Lord Buddha has outlined the course for studying and developing the mind in order to attain the utmost result in Buddhism as follows:

(1) The study of morality (sila-sikkha)

(2) The study of concentration (citta-sikkha)

(3) The study of supreme wisdom (panna-sikkha)

The Pali word ‘sikkha’ means the practicing and training of the body, the speech, and the mind. In brief, the Triple Study actually performs the religious endeavor. The study of morality is called ‘sila-sikkha’, the study of Samadhi is called ‘citta-sikkha’, and the study of supreme wisdom is called ‘panna-sikkha’.

If the study or mental training has been done to a higher and higher level, that is, to the Eightfold Path (Eightfold Noble Path) which is the most important practice of the Buddha’s Teachings, these threefold trainings are called ‘Adhi-sila-sikkha’-- the training of the utmost moral conduct, ‘Adhi-citta-sikkha’-- the training of the utmost mental collectedness to get the best Samadhi, and ‘Adhi-panna-sikkha’-- the training to cultivate the supreme wisdom.

The Eightfold Path to Enlightenment can be grouped into the three sikkha:

(1) ‘Samma-ditthi’—right view and ‘Samma-sankappa’—right thought. These two form the ‘Adhi-panna-sikkha’ which is the study of supreme wisdom.

(2) ‘Samma-vaca—right speech, ‘Samma-kammanta’—right behavior and ‘Samma-ajiva’—right livelihood. These three form the ‘Adhi-sila-sikkha’ which is the study of morality.

(3) ‘Samma-vayama’—right effort, ‘Samma-sati’—right mindfulness, and ‘Samma-samadhi’—right mental collectedness. These three form the ‘Adhi-citta-sikkha’, which is the study of the concentration.

Mind development (Bhavana) in Buddhism can be successfully done to achieve the supreme result through this Eightfold Noble Path or the Triple Study only. Other practices without Triple Study are not regarded as mind development according to the Buddha’s Teachings because such practices cannot develop or raise one’s mind to the fullest extent. Triple Study is used to free the mind form the three levels of defilements discovered by the Buddha. Details of them will be discussed here. 

The Three Levels of Defilements

Generally for well-experienced doctors, before ordering medicines or using any methods to cure their patients, they will examine carefully and thoroughly the cause of the disease until they are sure of what medicines or what method should be used. Likewise, the Lord Buddha who was considered to be the greatest psychiatrist of the world, had found out that all beings have three kinds or three groups of mental diseases which torture and suffer them in various possible ways. These three kinds of diseases are the three levels or forms of defilements with their different degrees of disasters, they are :

(1) The crude form of defilements (Vitikkama-kilesa). This is the coarse or rough kind of defilements overflowing through words and deeds. It is composed of three evil deeds, i.e. killing, stealing, and sexual misbehavior, and four kinds of evil words, i.e. lying, back-biting, uttering harsh words, and talking nonsense.

(2) The intermediate form of defilements (Pariyuddhana-kilesa). This is the middle kind of defilements that cause uneasiness of the mind due to the presence of mental hindrances (Nivarana) such as lustful inclination towards and longing for sensual pleasures, ill-will (Vyapada), or a feeling of jealousy for others, etc. This level of defilements disturbs the mind and prevents the mind from doing good deeds.

(3) The subtle form of defilements (Anusaya-kilesa). This is a subtle kind of defilement which lies dormant in the mind like sediments at the bottom of a water jar and it is the root of all kinds of defilement, which can be into divided into three:

(A) Underlying tendency of lust (Raganusaya). This is the root cause of lust or greed.

(B) Underlying tendency of agitation (Patighanusaya). This is the root cause of anger.

(C) Underlying tendency of ignorance (Avijjanusaya). This is the root cause of delusion.

The Lord Buddha discovered these three mental diseases so he composed the right medicine, Dhamma, to cure them. How to cure them will be explained later. The explanation on the degree of the three defilements is given here first.

 The catastrophes of the three defilements

The degree of catastrophe of the three defilements are not all equal but each of them is an obstacle to the development of the mind and the development of the country. Brief descriptions follow:

The crude form of defilement (Vitikkama-kilesa). This kind of defilement shows up in the form of evil deeds and evil speeches. It causes troubles to the doers and to society as well. Hence it is called ‘rough’ or crude because it is sinful, ugly, destroys things rapidly, and is easy to be seen.

This kind of defilement, when it appears as physical deeds, takes advantage of others. For example, it can manifest itself as killing or destroying other living beings, which sometimes causes wars. It can also result in cheating, stealing, robbing, engaging in sexual misbehavior, raping, causing troubled and broken families, and taking intoxicants or other kinds of harmful drugs.

When it appears verbally, its effect is lying, back-biting, uttering harsh words and talking non-sense. In short, most of the troubles and sufferings in society are caused by this kind of defilement.

The middle form of defilement (Pariyuddhana-kilesa). Unlike the rough form of defilement, this middle kind only disturbs, irritates the mind and is detrimental to one’s mental integration. It is not as harmful as the first kind of defilement and is not as subtle as the third kind.

One’s mind is unclear and dirty because of this kind of defilement. It is the mental hindrances (Nivarana) which prevent the mind from quieting and developing because they cause unhappy feelings and create agitation, restlessness, and worry (Uddhacca-kukkucca).

This middle level of defilement is the killer of mental health. Its strongest effect is to spoil the happiness of human beings and it is the cause of most mental diseases and nervous breakdowns. This is a most important problem at present since the number of these cases is increasing very rapidly, especially in big cities of the world.

The subtle form of defilement (Anusaya-kilesa). This kind of defilement is different from the first and the second group, which are still noticeable. This one lies dormant, in the depth of one’s mind, and is very hard to notice, like the sediments that lay under the water at the bottom of a container. The water appears so clean and clear that one can drink it, but only as long as the sediments on the bottom are not moved or stirred. But if the water is stirred and the sediments float around, then the water becomes dirty and cannot be drunk or used for washing anything.

Likewise is the mind with the subtle form of defilement; if it does not show up, then the mind seems clear and bright, suitable for working. But once the subtle form of defilement floats up and becomes the middle or the rough kind of defilement, then the mind is sad and dirty with low qualities. It cannot be used to do any work and many bad effects follow.

People travel endlessly through life, experiencing decay and illness until death, because of this subtle form of defilement. It is also the root for the rough and the middle kinds of defilement. Hence, it can be said that the subtle form of defilement is the principal source of all evils and all sufferings in the world.

Formation of Defilements

No matter how many defilements there seem to be, all of them are formed from the three roots of unwholesome greed (lobha), aversion or hatred (dosa), and ignorance or delusion (moha). These three are the roots of all evil deeds, step by step they are formed by starting as the delicate form of defilement first, then changing to the middle form of defilement, and sometimes exploding to be the coarse or rough kind of defilement.

(1) Greed (Lobha). The subtle base of greed (lobha) is lust which means attachment. When it springs up to be the middle kind of defilement it is sensual pleasure (kama-chanda) or craving for other’s belongings (Abhijjha). If the owner of lobha does not stop or control it, it will become the rough kind of defilement which shows up as evil deeds or words, such as killing, stealing, adultery, cheating and telling lies, etc.

(2) Anger (Dosa). The subtle base of anger (dosa) is agitation (patigha) which means collision or irritation of the mind. If it evolves into the middle kind of defilement it becomes vengeful and hateful. Anger in its coarse form leads to actions that include killing, destroying and hurting other beings, etc.

(3) Delusion (Moha). The subtle base of delusion (moha) is ignorance (avijja) which means wrong view. The middle form of it is sloth and torpor (Thina-middha) or the feeling of being discouraged, inert, gloomy and sleepy, or feeling uncertain or doubtful, which may become the wrong view that does not believe in sin or merit (miccha-ditthi). When it is out of control and in its coarse form, delusion may become drinking to intoxication, taking harmful drugs and talking nonsense.

 Getting Rid of Defilements

The Buddha, who had attained enlightenment and had clear comprehension of these defilements to the smallest detail, also knew of their danger, how they were formed, and in what group each of them belonged. He knew that all the troubles in the world are caused by these defilements. Hence, as the founder of Buddhism, he had composed three kinds of medicine, that is, the Triple Study of Mental Training:

(1) He introduced morality (Sila) to conquer the rough form of defilement.

(2) He introduced concentration or tranquillity meditation (Samadhi) to conquer the middle form of defilement.

(3) He introduced insight meditation or supreme wisdom (Panna) to conquer the delicate form of defilement.

So the Triple Study of Mental Training is also a method which successfully puts an end to the three kinds of defilements. Those who have used it can confirm the result and one can also prove this by oneself. The Lord Buddha proceeded victoriously using this method, therefore, he finally obtained the good result.

When one has, at least, strictly observed the five moral precepts (Sila), then the rough form of defilement cannot occur. If one goes on to concentrate until one reaches the state of Samadhi, the mind will be free from the mental hindrances, hence the middle form of defilement cannot disturb the mind. When supreme wisdom (Panna) through insight meditation arises, the subtle form of defilement will abate and disappear at last.

To visualize further, some Buddhist experts compare the use of the Triple Study of Mental Training to conquer the defilements as follows:

To conquer the rough form of defilement by using Sila is like using a sharp blade to cut the grass in the lawn so that the area will look nice and be easy to walk on. However, the grass will grow longer a few days afterward because the roots are still there under the ground. Likewise, the defilement that is temporarily quit by the power of Sila will grow up again when the person stops maintaining his good moral conduct. This is because its roots have not yet been destroyed.

To conquer the middle kind of defilement by using Samadhi is like placing a block or stone over the grass. As long as the object is still there, the grass has no chance to grow, but whenever the block or stone is removed, the grass can spring up again. Likewise, the middle kind of defilement, quieted only by the power of Samadhi, will become a disturbance to the mind again if the person stops or loses concentration. This is because the subtle form of defilement, which is its roots, still exists.

To conquer the subtle form of defilement by using Panna is like digging out the whole grass from its root up, making it dry, burning it, and blowing the ash away in the air. The grass will not have the least chance of growing at all because it has been completely uprooted. Likewise, by conquering the subtle form of defilement by using supreme wisdom, the grass will not be able to emerge again since there is no root for it to grow. Therefore, elimination of defilements by the power of Panna is the direct way and the most complete one.

The late Patriarch (Vasana Vasano) of Rajabopith monastery in Bangkok, Thailand made his comments on the Triple Study that: “Those who regularly and completely observe Sila can be considered as graduates of the Bachelor Degree in Buddhism. Those who regularly and completely observe Samadhi can be considered as graduates of the Master Degree in Buddhism. Those who regularly and completely observe Panna can be considered as graduates of the Doctorate Degree in Buddhism.”

Hence, the real Doctorate Degree in Buddhism is Panna. To get certificates in the Triple Study one should make an attempt to get the highest or Doctorate Degree, which means that one has reached the state of being free from all defilements and that the mind is fully developed to the highest extent.

At the lowest level, the degree of defilement may be lessened but one still feels unhappy and troubled. So with the regular and completed practice of Sila one should not be content or feel proud because the sufferings (dukkha) still exist since there are still two kinds of defilement yet to be eradicated. Or if one only develops the level of Samadhi, one is still not fully free from the subtle kind of defilement.

In other words, one who practices the Triple Study can be compared to a country with the following similes:

(1) Strong armed forces to defend the country from the enemies outside is like Sila that protects one from the rough kind of defilement,

(2) Strong police power to keep law and order within the country just like

Samadhi that keeps one’s mind steady, still and happy, that is, freeing it

from the middle kind of defilement.