I understand that there are many types (basic, intermediate and advanced stage, am I right?) of meditation. I have learnt the basic which is concentrating on my breathing. I feel comfortable with it. If so, must I go on to learn higher level of meditation ? What are the higher level of meditation ? Can briefly describe ? If possible state the types of meditatio in Chinese.
During meditation, I have seen many images and people I have not seen them before. I know I should not bother about them, but just want to confirm that they are related to me in my past life, am I right ?
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:I understand that there are many types (basic, intermediate and advanced stage, am I right?) of meditation. I have learnt the basic which is concentrating on my breathing. I feel comfortable with it. If so, must I go on to learn higher level of meditation ? What are the higher level of meditation ? Can briefly describe ? If possible state the types of meditatio in Chinese.
During meditation, I have seen many images and people I have not seen them before. I know I should not bother about them, but just want to confirm that they are related to me in my past life, am I right ?
First off: regarding those images, I'm not sure, maybe Longchen can answer you better but as you have intuited one should let go of all these impressions. My understanding is that they are not necessarily our past lives, usually past life memories are only accessed in very deep state of concentration and clarity, or states of jhana and samadhi.
As for whether breathing meditation is just basic meditation or something more: that would depend on which system of meditation you follow.
In some systems especially in Theravada, the Anapanasati method is held in high esteem and is used to gain Nirvana. In other traditions like Vajrayana, it is often the case that it is only taught as a common shamatha to build a base of concentration and one-pointedness, before moving on to more advanced practice.
That is why you need to tell me which system of meditation you are following first.
As for whether Anapanasati alone can lead to enlightenment, the answer is that it can, but it depends on how you practice it.
If we practice Anapanasati as a shamatha (concentration) method, it will lead to states of absorption, jhana, samadhi, but not enlightenment. Example of breathing-shamatha is counting breathe, concentrating on the in-and-out of breathing, etc.
If we practice Anapanasati as a vipassana (insight meditation) method, it will lead to enlightenment and liberation. That means just bare awareness of the sensations, the coldness, warmness, softness, hardness, liquidity or cohesion, movement and vibration... just sense it in full clarity and vividness, observing its arising and ceasing and non self and disattisfactory nature.... this will lead to realisation.
from another article http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Other/Anapana/anapana.html
Then as to respiration meditation (anapanasati), in the
Visuddhimagga it is mentioned as samatha meditation, concentration
meditation. In the Mahasatipatthana Sutta it is mentioned as
vipassana meditation. Then how can we distinguish it between the
vipassana aspect of respiration and the samatha aspect of
respiration? If
we are mindful of the absolute reality of respiration, that will be
vipassana meditation. If we are mindful of the concept regarding
respiration, then it will be samatha
meditation.
So the Visuddhimagga mentions the method of concentrating on the
touching sensation whenever you breathe in and breathe out. When
you concentrate your mind on the coming in and going out of the
breath, then it is samatha meditation because you have to
concentrate on the coming in and going out, not on the wind or air.
When it is coming in you note ‘in’; when it is going out you note,
‘out’. ‘In, out, in, out’. Your mind is not on the breathing air
but on the ‘coming-in’ and the ‘going-out’. ‘Coming-in’ and
‘going-out’ are not ultimate realities.
Say you come into the room through the door and go out of the room
through the door. We may ask, “What is this coming in and going
out?” it is neither you, nor a person. It is just ‘coming-in’ and
‘going-out.’ It is just concept. In the same way, when you
concentrate on the coming in and going out of the breath, it is
just a concept. Since concept is the object of meditation, it is
samatha meditation. You cannot realise any specific
characteristics or general characteristics of ‘coming-in’ and
‘going-out’ because they are not realities, just concepts, so
thatÂ’s samatha meditation.
However, if you focus your mind on the point where the breath
touches whenever it comes in or goes out, it touches the nostrils.
When you observe this touching sensation and are mindful of
it, then it is (ultimate) reality. That touching point is
composed of the four primary material elements: pathavī dhatu, hard
or soft; apo dhatu, liquidity or cohesion; tejo dhatu, hot or cold;
vayo dhatu, movement or vibration. These four elements are there
whenever you focus your mind on the touching sensation. So the
object is absolute reality. What can we call it — samatha or
vipassana meditation? It is vipassana.
That is what the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw wrote about the
distinction between the samatha and vipassana aspects of
respiration meditation. I appreciate it very much. So then we can
say respiration meditation is vipassana meditation in accordance
with the Mahasatipatthana Sutta. We can also say that respiration
meditation is samatha in accordance with the Visuddhimagga. It is
very subtle and profound to differentiate between these two aspects
of respiration meditation, but I think those who have practised
meditation very well can differentiate between these two
aspects.
Also the Buddha gave assurance that breathing meditation (vipassana) leads to enlightenment and Nirvana:
http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Ledi/Anapanasati/anapanasati.html#Nibbana
Ä€nÄ�pÄ�nassati, bhikkhave, bhÄ�vitÄ� bahulÄ«katÄ� cattÄ�ro satipaá¹á¹hÄ�ne paripÅ«renti. CattÄ�ro satipaá¹á¹hÄ�nÄ� bhÄ�vitÄ� bahulÄ«katÄ� satta bojjhaá¹…ge paripÅ«renti. Satta bojjhaá¹…gÄ� bhÄ�vitÄ� bahulÄ«katÄ� vijjÄ� vimuttiṃ paripÅ«renti. (MN 118)
“Monks. If mindfulness of respiration is cultivated and made much of, the four foundations of mindfulness are fulfilled and perfected. If the four foundations of mindfulness are cultivated and made much of, the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhaá¹…ga) are fulfilled and perfected. If the seven factors of enlightenment are cultivated and made much of, knowledge (vijjÄ�) and liberation (vimutti) are fulfilled and perfected.”
Here,
knowledge means the four path knowledges, and liberation means the four
fruition knowledges. The essential meaning is that if mindfulness of
respiration is practiced diligently for days and months, the work of
the four foundations of mindfulness, the seven factors of
enlightenment, and of knowledge and liberation are automatically
accomplished. The foundations of mindfulness, the factors of
enlightenment, and knowledge and liberation comprise the thirty-seven
requisites of enlightenment (bodhipakkhiya
dhamm�) so the development
of the thirty-seven requisites of enlightenment are automatically fulfilled.
This ends the exposition of the introduction to the Ān�p�nasati Sutta.
Originally posted by An Eternal Now:First off: regarding those images, I'm not sure, maybe Longchen can answer you better but as you have intuited one should let go of all these impressions. My understanding is that they are not necessarily our past lives, usually past life memories are only accessed in very deep state of concentration and clarity, or states of jhana and samadhi.
As for whether breathing meditation is just basic meditation or something more: that would depend on which system of meditation you follow.
In some systems especially in Theravada, the Anapanasati method is held in high esteem and is used to gain Nirvana. In other traditions like Vajrayana, it is often the case that it is only taught as a common shamatha to build a base of concentration and one-pointedness, before moving on to more advanced practice.
That is why you need to tell me which system of meditation you are following first.
As for whether Anapanasati alone can lead to enlightenment, the answer is that it can, but it depends on how you practice it.
If we practice Anapanasati as a shamatha (concentration) method, it will lead to states of absorption, jhana, samadhi, but not enlightenment. Example of breathing-shamatha is counting breathe, concentrating on the in-and-out of breathing, etc.
If we practice Anapanasati as a vipassana (insight meditation) method, it will lead to enlightenment and liberation. That means just bare awareness of the sensations, the coldness, warmness, softness, hardness, liquidity or cohesion, movement and vibration... just sense it in full clarity and vividness, observing its arising and ceasing and non self and disattisfactory nature.... this will lead to realisation.
from another article http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Other/Anapana/anapana.html
Then as to respiration meditation (anapanasati), in the Visuddhimagga it is mentioned as samatha meditation, concentration meditation. In the Mahasatipatthana Sutta it is mentioned as vipassana meditation. Then how can we distinguish it between the vipassana aspect of respiration and the samatha aspect of respiration? If we are mindful of the absolute reality of respiration, that will be vipassana meditation. If we are mindful of the concept regarding respiration, then it will be samatha meditation.
So the Visuddhimagga mentions the method of concentrating on the touching sensation whenever you breathe in and breathe out. When you concentrate your mind on the coming in and going out of the breath, then it is samatha meditation because you have to concentrate on the coming in and going out, not on the wind or air. When it is coming in you note ‘in’; when it is going out you note, ‘out’. ‘In, out, in, out’. Your mind is not on the breathing air but on the ‘coming-in’ and the ‘going-out’. ‘Coming-in’ and ‘going-out’ are not ultimate realities.
Say you come into the room through the door and go out of the room through the door. We may ask, “What is this coming in and going out?” it is neither you, nor a person. It is just ‘coming-in’ and ‘going-out.’ It is just concept. In the same way, when you concentrate on the coming in and going out of the breath, it is just a concept. Since concept is the object of meditation, it is samatha meditation. You cannot realise any specific characteristics or general characteristics of ‘coming-in’ and ‘going-out’ because they are not realities, just concepts, so that’s samatha meditation.
However, if you focus your mind on the point where the breath touches whenever it comes in or goes out, it touches the nostrils. When you observe this touching sensation and are mindful of it, then it is (ultimate) reality. That touching point is composed of the four primary material elements: pathavī dhatu, hard or soft; apo dhatu, liquidity or cohesion; tejo dhatu, hot or cold; vayo dhatu, movement or vibration. These four elements are there whenever you focus your mind on the touching sensation. So the object is absolute reality. What can we call it — samatha or vipassana meditation? It is vipassana.
That is what the Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw wrote about the distinction between the samatha and vipassana aspects of respiration meditation. I appreciate it very much. So then we can say respiration meditation is vipassana meditation in accordance with the Mahasatipatthana Sutta. We can also say that respiration meditation is samatha in accordance with the Visuddhimagga. It is very subtle and profound to differentiate between these two aspects of respiration meditation, but I think those who have practised meditation very well can differentiate between these two aspects.
Also the Buddha gave assurance that breathing meditation (vipassana) leads to enlightenment and Nirvana:
http://www.aimwell.org/Books/Ledi/Anapanasati/anapanasati.html#Nibbana
VI
MINDFULNESS OF RESPIRATION LEADS TO NIBBÄ€NA
Ä€nÄ�pÄ�nassati, bhikkhave, bhÄ�vitÄ� bahulÄ«katÄ� cattÄ�ro satipaá¹á¹hÄ�ne paripÅ«renti. CattÄ�ro satipaá¹á¹hÄ�nÄ� bhÄ�vitÄ� bahulÄ«katÄ� satta bojjhaá¹…ge paripÅ«renti. Satta bojjhaá¹…gÄ� bhÄ�vitÄ� bahulÄ«katÄ� vijjÄ� vimuttiṃ paripÅ«renti. (MN 118)
“Monks. If mindfulness of respiration is cultivated and made much of, the four foundations of mindfulness are fulfilled and perfected. If the four foundations of mindfulness are cultivated and made much of, the seven factors of enlightenment (bojjhaá¹…ga) are fulfilled and perfected. If the seven factors of enlightenment are cultivated and made much of, knowledge (vijjÄ�) and liberation (vimutti) are fulfilled and perfected.”
Here, knowledge means the four path knowledges, and liberation means the four fruition knowledges. The essential meaning is that if mindfulness of respiration is practiced diligently for days and months, the work of the four foundations of mindfulness, the seven factors of enlightenment, and of knowledge and liberation are automatically accomplished. The foundations of mindfulness, the factors of enlightenment, and knowledge and liberation comprise the thirty-seven requisites of enlightenment (bodhipakkhiya dhamm�) so the development
of the thirty-seven requisites of enlightenment are automatically fulfilled.This ends the exposition of the introduction to the Ān�p�nasati Sutta.
Thanks AEN. I remembered the 3 days meditation course was organised by NUS Buddhist Society. I do not know it belongs to which tradition. Back then, I was not a practicing Buddhist yet, I learned meditation because I had serious insomnia and meditation helped me to sleep and I was cured quite some time ago and I stopped. I practice concentrating on the in and out of breathing.
Now, I wish to pick up meditation again to curb my emotion as I am easily influence by what is happening around me. I have heard of meditation which concentrates on picture of Buddha or being compassionate while meditating (someone told me about compassion during meditating which I do not understand what she meant) which I assume is of higher stage than concentrating on breathing, is it so ?
Just a sharing...
The images are most probably from the subconscious mind put into image-form.
For meditation, it is better not to be bothered with them. Actually, it is not so ideal to tell a person what will happen and will be experienced... so i think i should not say too much here.
I once had a Western Teacher (not from Buddhist Tradition) who taught me how to see and read those images in the meditation. I don't do those meditation now.
Also, the concentrating on breathe method should not be underestimated. It can lead unto the first glimpse of pure awareness.
Originally posted by longchen:Just a sharing...
The images are most probably from the subconscious mind put into image-form.
For meditation, it is better not to be bothered with them. Actually, it is not so ideal to tell a person what will happen and will be experienced... so i think i should not say too much here.
I once had a Western Teacher (not from Buddhist Tradition) who taught me how to see and read those images in the meditation. I don't do those meditation now.
Also, the concentrating on breathe method should not be underestimated. It can lead unto the first glimpse of pure awareness.
Thanks for sharing. I was also told not to bother about those images during the meditation course. However, I was curious because some images appeared again and again. Some images appeared so suddenly during meditation that I was taken aback. Anyway, by knowing them does not help me, so be it.
Originally posted by Dawnfirstlight:Thanks for sharing. I was also told not to bother about those images during the meditation course. However, I was curious because some images appeared again and again. Some images appeared so suddenly during meditation that I was taken aback. Anyway, by knowing them does not help me, so be it.
Accessing visions, subconscious impressions can happen quite easily for some people when they let go to a certain level. Best to just ignore them and continue being aware of the breathing.
Anyway here's a good article on mindfulness practice, try to practice this on your breathing, and then extend it in daily lives as well. http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe13.html
Recollecting virtues of Buddha / focusing image of Buddha are one types of meditation that can help building one's foundation when they practise samatha and insight meditation.This method however will not directly lead to jhana stage.
Usually one ignore whatever arise, include these images and just come back to the breathing..... Then you will slowly progress when you have stabilise your concentration correctly.
Best to seek a teacher who can guide you well.