AJAHN BRAHMAVAMSO: "Inilah bahaya vipassana."

[hudoyo]

Venerable Ajahn Brahmavamso -
Samatha Meditation

[Ajahn Brahmavamso is a senior monk at Bodhinyana Monastery in Western Australia. The following piece has been extracted from a talk given prior to an all-night meditation vigil, during which meditators have the opportunity to develop and learn about concentration.]

Samatha meditation is about calming the mind down, calming the bodily activities, calming the speech and calming the activities of the mind. It's quite interesting to notice that when one faces a retreat situation one looks for activity: sitting in meditation one looks for things to do, for things to occupy the mind, rather than just being peaceful and quiet.

It's very easy to see that if my own mind thinks in a certain way, my body acts accordingly. That is a very useful reflection, because it means that there is more than one way to quieten the mind. Rather than just quietening it down in formal meditation, one can practise samatha meditation by restraining the speech and the actions in one's daily life. If one can restrain oneself in those situations - whether it is cleaning, washing up, walking, coming and going - then, when it comes down to sitting cross-legged on the meditation cushion, it is much easier to restrain the activities of the mind.

To develop samatha, first of all get hold of the breath - so you can see it. In order to do this you have to restrain other activities, the things that come up into the mind that tear you away from your object of meditation - whether it's thoughts or plans, or feelings of pain in the body, you have to restrain your mind from going out to those things, and stay with the breath. Once you can see the breath clearly, then you can actually calm it down and find what effort is required to make it smooth and light and the mind peaceful. This is the first practice in traditional anapanasati.

You may have noticed that whenever the mind is calm, the body doesn't give you so much of a problem. If you can get into a quiet state of mind quickly when you first sit down meditating - while the body is at ease, before the knees start to ache and the back becomes sore - then the body won't disturb you throughout the rest of the meditation. So quieten the body first of all, and then go to the breath and get hold of it wherever it is. It doesn't matter where the breath is - where the sensation is - wherever it is, see it there and catch hold of it and don't allow it to disappear. It is an effort - it's attaining or going towards something, doing something, rather than just letting go too quickly and doing nothing - rather than just watching the mind wander here there and everywhere; that's really not what the practice is all about. Quietening the mind down first of all is a prerequisite for any wisdom to arise.

There is a sutta which is the extension to the Paticcasamuppada. It extends what happens after dukkha; it doesn't stop there. According to that sutta, dukkha is the cause of the arising of faith, the arising of confidence in the teachings - the Noble Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths. Once one sees dukkha, then one realises that there is something to be done. I often find with teaching that people don't practise. They don't do anything, for the one reason that they don't see any dukkha - or rather, they don't recognise it in their lives. They don't see the suffering or the cause of the suffering - the place where the suffering is - and therefore they never do anything.

So it's obvious that dukkha is the very cause for people to arouse themselves and say, 'Right, I'm going to do something about this!' That's the confidence saying, 'No longer am I going to run around, going to other places, looking for other teachers, doing other things - here is the problem. I'm going to stick to this spot, and sort it out!' That's when that link happens, that's the start of doing something about the problem of human existence. That's really recognising dukkha, recognising where it comes from, and doing something about it.

Once one has that fundamental faith - that confidence - to stop, to stay in one place and face up to the problem, then the next step is joy. This joy comes from understanding that here is the problem, and here is the way out of it; there is something you can do. Joy gives rise to interest (piti), which is really wanting in one's heart to do something about it, and this fuels the energy for the practice.

Then comes happiness (sukha). When you really start to practise, you feel physical happiness, just by refraining from doing all those things that cause dukkha. That much gives happiness. This is where the transcendental dependent arising starts to get interesting, because the factor of sukha is the cause for the arising of samadhi. If one hasn't got happiness, then there is very little chance for sarnadhi to arise. If one is having a very hard time - an unhappy time - and the mind is very closed, there is no way that samadhi can arise. Samadhi can only come from the basis of happiness. This is where talks can be really useful - they can inspire you and give you that interest, and from there you can gain samadhi and see for yourself.

The next step from samadhi is seeing things as they are. Now this factor comes after sarnadhi, not before it; it's not the cause of samadhi, but the result of it. The only way you can see what is going on is when the mind is quiet, concentrated. The reason that one doesn't see things the way they are outside of a quiet clear mind is because the mind is under the influence of defilements - greed, hatred and delusion. These are the things that distort our perception. You all know that when we are angry it distorts our perception of a person or a place. If we are angry, this monastery is the last place we want to be. Then the next day, when we are happy and the sun is shining, it is a wonderful place! The same monastery, but the defilements distort our perception - desire distorts our perception. When one doesn't see clearly, how can one see things as they really are - how can one understand what is going on? Avijja [ignorance] distorts perception. So to see things as they really are, one has to clear the mind of these things that distort the perception - if only for a short while. In that short while, one can see the way things are.

I've always felt that the idea of insight meditation can be a misleading one. Often it has been the custom or the fashion to say that samatha meditation is 'dangerous', because you can get stuck in jhanas [meditative absorptions]. But how many people do you know who have got jhanas - let alone are attached to them? At least if you have a jhana, if you are very peaceful and getting blissed out, you know one place where the defilements have temporarily subsided. At least you are getting somewhere, you are doing something. Also, it is the nature of jhanas - of the quiet mind - that after one comes out of these states, the mind is clear, and nine times our of ten wisdom will arise. There is a danger there that you can get attached to jhanas, but the danger is not that much.

But where there is a danger in this Western world is in vipassana, because you can get notions about vipassana from a book. You can read an idea and straight away you think, 'Now I understand.' This is where one really attaches. You think, 'This is the way it is. I've seen the way things are' - when the mind hasn't been clear enough to get beyond the defilements. Delusion is ruling the day, the defilements have caught you again. Vipassana which comes outside of a quiet clear mind is not to be relied upon. That is the danger of vipassana. So, often it is more dangerous to be stuck with a view, than to be stuck enjoying a jhana. If one is pracrising samatha, at least one knows if it is being successful or not. One can tell very clearly, very easily if the mind is quiet or not. With vipassana it may be difficult to know if the insight that has arisen in your mind is true or not - whether you really are seeing things the way they are, or whether you are deceiv- ing yourself. That is the big danger with delusion - delusion is delusive! It tricks you.

So one does the practice: one cultivates happiness, cultivates samadhi, cultivates seeing the way things are - this basic insight. You will know if it is insight, if it gives rise to dispassion. You can ask yourself if you still get angry, if you still get irritated; if you still have desire and greed, and really want things - whether it's personal attainments, or fame in the monastery for being the great meditator, the best cook . . . if these are the things you really want, then you still have not really seen the way things are. If it really is insight, it creates dispassion (nibbida) in the mind.

Nibbida gives rise to a more intense form of dispassion, called viraga. Raga means lust, that which attaches you to the things of the world, or things of the mind: viraga is the giving up of that desire or delight in the things of the mind, or things of the world. The next step up from that is freedom, vimutti - liberation. That's not the last step, actually. Interestingly, the last step after vimutti is the knowledge that one has been released - not the sort of dithering about if one is enlightened or not, but knowing clearly the state of your mind. Like in the suttas, the monks didn't say, 'Well... um. . . yes.. .I think I'm enlightened'! The monks who were enlightened just said so. The Buddha just said so: 'There's no more birth, nothing more to be done.'

So when it comes down to reality, one does need to do something. One does need to put forth effort into practising - to quietening the mind down: in daily life, and also when one is sitting. If you try, and it doesn't become calm straight away, it's because one is pushing in the wrong places. People say sometimes that they have been trying to calm the mind down to make it peaceful, and it doesn't work - but there is a way to calm the mind down. Just because a person does it wrongly - doesn't know the way to quieten the mind - doesn't mean it doesn't work. One can calm the mind down, but to be able to do that you have to know when to push and when to pull; if you do all pushing and no pulling it doesn't work. You have to know the state of your mind, and also what you are doing. You have to know how much to hold on to the breath - to know when you are holding on too tightly to the point where you become tired and tense. If you find that you can't calm down, investigate the reason why. One of the reasons may be because you haven't invested the time or the effort. How many hours are there in the day, and how many of those hours do we spend sitting watching the breath?

One may be sitting, but how often does one watch the breath? It's quite easy to see the reasons, although it might not be a particularly nice thing to admit or own up to - but there it is. So one tries to be quiet in the day, and in the mind - to quieten down the external activity as well as internal activity, to be peaceful.

To actually practice samatha - to have success in meditation - not only do you need effort but you also need right view, a bit of wisdom or panna. It's panna which teaches quietness, and quietness that teaches panna. The two go together, like friends walking along a path hand in hand. Indeed, you cannot just practise samatha through an effort of will; you have to know where that will is to be directed. If you just direct it haphazardly, it is not strong enough - it's never sustained long enough to have any effect. The will needs to be directed through panna, knowing the right place to push - how much, for how long, and where.

So to say that the practice is just mindfulness is to miss the point: it's the whole Eightfold Path. Sometimes these days samadhi is the poor relation in the Eightfold Path. That's why I'm emphasising it here. The other ones can be overestimated. So it's really good to be honest with oneself, and ask just what is going on: is one's mind quiet, or is it noisy? When you are listening to a talk can you shut up inside, can you be peaceful? Can you listen to words without arguing about them? These are just ways of seeing where one is - then one can do something about it. It's not that hard to quieten the mind down, and it's really worth doing!

Paticcasamuppada is the Buddha's teaching of 'dependent arising'. This teaching occurs in several places in the Sutta Pitaka and describes how suffering is engendered dependent on supportive conditions. The process is initiated by ignorance and wrong views in the mind. In the Upanisa Sutta, the analysis goes further: the Buddha points out that for those who wish to awaken, suffering itself is a supportive condition for the arising of commitment to a spiritual path, and eventually to liberation itself.

The normal formulation is of twelve linking factors; from the twelfth, suffering, the Upanisa Sutta proceeds thus:

"Suffering is the supporting condition for faith, Faith is the supporting condition for joy, Joy is the supporting condition for rapture, Rapture is the supporting condition for tranquillity, Tranquillity is the supporting condition for happiness, Happiness is the supporting condition for concentration, Concentration is the supporting condition for the knowledge and vision of things as they really are, The knowledge and vision of things as they really are is the supporting condition for disenchantment, Disenchantment is the supporting condition for dispassion, Dispassion is the supporting condition for emancipation, Emancipation is the supporting condition for the knowledge of the destruction of the asavas (the most deeply-rooted obstructive habits)." Samyutta Nikaya II, 29

Forest Sangha Newsletter: October 1991, Number 18

[hudoyo]

Interesting But Be Careful..., March 4, 2007
By  Gerald R. Johnson "GRJ" (Taipei, Taiwan) -

Ajahn Brahm is certainly one of the most dynamic and charismatic Buddhist speakers nowadays. His Friday Night Dhamma talks and seminars have now gained worldwide acclaim and have even won over my mother. Indeed, along with Ajahn Sucitto and Jack Kornfield, Ajahn Brahm was one of the first masters I encountered when I was first introduced to Theravadan Buddhism. His talks have since provided me with a lot of inspiration over the years and have helped me through some very trying times. His previous book "Truckload of Dung" contains many of his jokes, stories and anecdotes that neatly illustrate the main aspects of Buddhism and is vintage Ajahn Brahm at his best.

I must confess, however, that I found his latest book "Mindfulness, Bliss..." along with his most recent Dhamma talks on enlightenment to be somewhat troubling, not necessarily in their content, but in their absolute tone or attitude towards Buddhist practice and enlightenment. While this book contains many useful insights and references about jhanas, his relentless and recurring insistence that experiencing and attaining jhanas is the only true way of achieving enlightenment, borders on the dogmatic and could be misleading especially for beginners in Dhamma practice.

His assertion that achieving or experiencing jhanas is either the best or only way to enlightenment flies in the face of other teachings by renowned meditation masters including more senior teachers such as Ajahn Sumedho and even his own teacher Ajahn Chah. The jhanic bliss or nimittas experienced during meditation should not be attached to, nor do they in themselves constitute enlightenment and nor are they a necessary or sufficient condition for enlightenment. Jhanas and nimittas are just concepts and conditions of the mind, possibly helpful along the path (indeed, they have been for me at certain times), BUT they are neither more nor less than that and do not constitute the sole purpose of meditation, nor are they the pinnacle of Buddhism nor do they represent the totality of Dhamma practice. Please read Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Chah on this subject.

As Ajahn Chah used to say, there are many roads to enlightenment and achieving deep jhanas is but one possible portal; however, danger lurks if one gets attached to these blissful states or if one becomes too eager to experience them and depressed if one doesn't. Then they can become a defilement and impede healthy spiritual development. Really, jhanas and nimittas just happen, if they happen at all.

Furthermore, the focus on discovering one's own past lives and reincarnations is yet another common spiritual red-herring found in this lastest book and a few of Ajahn Brahm's latest Dhamma talks (though curiously absent in his earlier talks). I find this a bit disappointing since one of the cornerstones of Buddhism is to be at ease with the Unknowable, to be fine with the Uncertain and not to waste too much time on the Speculative (such as past lives and reincarnations). This is really the realm of other more esoteric forms of Buddhism and New Age speculation. It's especially mystifying since Ajahn Brahm used to devote a considerable amount of his time alerting practioners to these dangers and advising them to put more practical effort into here-and-now mindfulness.

I also found it interesting that Ajahn Brahm uses a lot of heavy scriptural references to support his claims in this book (one wonders if Ajahn Sujato had a partial hand in ghost-writing this book) and yet he often dismisses reliance on scriptural references in his Friday Night Dhamma talks since "these scriptures weren't written by the Buddha anyway." If "Mindfulness, Bliss" were merely presented as an anectdotal reference, or simply as a shared experience or even as a "viewless view" of what can and might happen during meditation, I think it's usefulness would increase dramatically.

It is vital to carefully read Jack Kornfield's excellent foreward, a thinly veiled caveat, before immersing yourself in this book. Furthermore, if you are a beginner to Buddhism or meditation, to gain proper perspective on this subject, I'd strongly suggest reading a few classics before tackling this lastest from Ajahn Brahm:

Ajahn Chah - Food For The Heart
Ajahn Sumedho - The Mind And The Way
Jack Kornfield - A Path With Heart
Henepola Gunaratana - Eight Mindful Steps To Happiness

As the old Buddhist chesnut goes, "Never believe anything anyone tells you, not even the greatest and most famous master and not even the Buddha himself. Test it out for yourself."

3 stars for a thorough discussion of jhanas, minus 2 stars for the misleading tone of the book and the confusion it might cause those who may be new to Buddhism.

Good Luck!

==============================
Tanggapan:

Divine Chemechanical says:
I agree that the foreword by Jack Kornfield is important. It should be noted that Ajahn Brahm allowed it to be in there for a reason. If he disagreed with JK than that foreword would not be in there.

That said, the discussion of Jhana is very important, even essential. If one looks into Christian mysticism, Contemplation, Practice of the Presence of God, Bhakti Yoga, Jnanna Yoga, Japa Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, etc. one finds that the BLISS of union with "God" is always a constant theme. "Sat-chit-ananda" means "truth consciousness BLISS," and is said to be the nature of enlightenment/God-realization. Even Nirvana isn't said to be some ultimate passive apathy. As such, a discussion of the importance of the presence of bliss is not to be underestimated, and is a definite part of the path towards "liberation". As such, his insistence on it is deserved. Nowhere in the book does he say to be attached to it, that they constitute enlightenment in themselves, or that we should seek the memory of past-lives, and even points beyond all this. So few books deal with this topic in a Buddhist context that it is a valuable contribution to meditation instruction literature.

There is no substitute for wisdom, so if someone simply reads this book and then thinks that they should get attached to bliss-states or even the search for past-life memory is just silly. People who read this book will hopefully be more mature than that, and find what is practical and useful for them and continue on their journey home. If someone gets lost because of this book, they were bound to get lost in any book, even the most "safe" ones. Like the reviewer said, we should be careful, and we should, of all teaching until we have experienced for ourselves the truth of the matter.

You are blessed.

========================
Tanggapan:

Josh Lee says:
I've found both the original reviewer's comment and the present reply-comment to be thoughtful and interesting. They express points, though not necessarily in complete agreement with each other, in honest, sincere and helpful manner, and contribute to furthering positive discussions. I applaud to this exchange of opinions, which is a fine example of how far constructive comments can go in fostering understanding and discussions for all of us.

[hudoyo]

Disappointing albeit good book: It ignores progressions of later buddhist sects., July 18, 2007
By  Philip S. Rosemond

REviewer Sean Hoade reviewed this book first stating:
"Tibetan Buddhism is exotic and Zen is aesthetically pleasing, but for the meditation that led the Buddha himself to enlightenment, we must look to the Theravadans."

This statement is, of course, abject non-egalitarian judgementalism that betrays the writer's ignorance of not only the 4 Immeasurables by also the progressive stages of meditation achieved through the years since buddha's birth, enlightenment, and teachings.

Indeed, the wonderful teachings of the Thera communities (which include both "Shravakas" and the forest dweller "Pratekyabuddhists") are all too often undermined by their insistance that they teach the only "pure" meditation traditions. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The Mahayana and Vajrayana Traditions have added to the foundational insight meditations that the Thera Vippassana tradtion acts as a foundation. Indeed, like any relative study, meditation practices have matured as have the ideologies of buddhism and dharma/dhamma.

I have two basic problems with this and other presentations to a general public of meditation. #1: there is no quick technique to attain instant bliss. Attaining bliss is a choice. If one makes the decision to attain it, they will seek and obtain training in how to. But, it cannot be gained from a book (as the author is wise enough to relay). But, "bliss" is not enlightenment. It is a state of rest within the chaos of the world which all meditations seek to attain. However, in order to attain realization of mind (aka "enlightenment") one must transcend and cut through first: the desire to attain bliss and second: they must practice meditation that leads well beyond "bliss" itself. Fortunately, the book makes no such claim. But, my point about 'rest' leads me to my second difficulty...

#2: This book, like most Thera explainations of mindfulness, neglects the need to work with meditators where they are - particularly very busy western meditators. Theravadinism stresses Vippassana meditation: Insight/Awareness meditation. One cannot achieve the insight through meditation suggested by this and other books, without first practicing Calm Abiding/Tranquility meditation through its stages successfully. This takes quite a bit of time and practice. If one cannot calm their minds first, then the chaos of thought is mistaken for real insight, or real insight becomes confused with the noise of one's own mind and distractions.

Though I agree and appreciate Ajahn Brahm's experience and expertise, like most Thera explanations of meditation it rushes the student too quickly into advanced meditation techniques. Though I recommend this book, I don't recomend it or most Visppassa oriented 'my first meditation book' to most. I recommend: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" by Suzuki Roshi, "Joyful Mind: A Practical Guide To Buddhist Meditation" by Susan Piver, "A Guide to Shamatha* Meditation" by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (Not available on Amazon) and "Meditation in Action" and "Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior" by Chogyam Trungpa, "Turning the Mind Into an Ally" by Sakyong Mipham and Pema Chodron (Shamatha means "Calm Abiding" or "Tranquility" in Sanskrit.)

Sincerely, Prosemo

================================
Tanggapan:

Divine Chemechanical says:
The author discusses in the opening couple of chapters about the relationship between meditations on calm abiding and those on awareness. My experience also agrees with his statement that they are basically indistinguishable. If one becomes more rightly aware, one becomes more calm, and if one becomes more rightly calm, one becomes more aware. To say we can do one and not the other at the exact same time is not sensible.

He never says, also, that bliss is some fast or instantaneous occurance. He stresses, contrary to what the reviewer states, that people should spend a good deal of time building their foundations in the most basic parts of the practice. He is not intending to rush anyone and even cautions against it saying that it just won't work.

Also, I am not sure what the reviewer really can mean that he is not dealing with people where they are at. What people? Who can assume where others are at? He gives the most basic practice and leads up to very advanced practice, and stresses gradual and natural development. This allows everyone to be exactly where they are at.

Finally, just to continue to play the "devil's advocate", the Buddha, technically, did not practice either Zen Buddhism or Tibetan Buddhism, he practiced and taught what is found in the Anapanasati Sutta and in the Satipattana Sutta. These are, technically, found in the Theravadin Tradition. As such, one must go to a Theravadin tradition to find his method of practice, even if it is imported within a Zen Monastary. Further, each tradition has its bias, and we as seekers after the way need to know that. To ask a Buddhist a question is to get a Buddhist answer. Ask a Theravidin a question, get a Theravadin answer. Ask a Mahayanist a question, get a Mahayanist answer. To ask a Christian is to get a Christian answer. To ask a Yogi is to get a Yogic answer, etc.

I agree with the reviewer that one who says that their way is the only way, is wrong. However, I am not so sure that Ajahn Brahm is actually saying that. From my reading of the text, I did not get that. I got that he is quite convinced of the path he espouses, and he should be, he's experienced it. Tibetan Buddhism IS exotic. There's a gazillion gods and goddess, making golems, generating Psychic heat, and all sorts of stuff going on. It's not a negative thing, it's just that it is culturally colorful, which a lot of people really get a lot out of. And Zen IS aesthetically pleasing, at least it is to me. Perhaps the reviewer thinks it is aesthetically disagreeable, I don't know. Zen, in contrast to Tibetan Buddhism, is stark, and its teaching of zen-sitting and Zen Koans is not exactly what the Buddha taught, for that we would have to go to the Theravadins. I love Zen teaching, don't get me wrong, but in many ways it is a commentary on the Buddha's teaching as much as it is also his teaching at the same time. It is like a boiled down version, a getting down to the brass tacks, a course in essentials that leads to "liberation". Reading Zen Masters teachings is quite different than reading Theravadin teachings. The Dhammapada and the Zen Teaching of Hui Neng have quite a different feel. I most highly recomend the Zen Teaching of Huang Po. It is possibly the best book I have ever read. Still, what Ajahn Brahm is saying is not unfounded, and is, arguably, correct without being non-egalitarian or judgmental in a negative way.

[hudoyo]

Not recommended overall, March 26, 2007
By  M. Spinella

The strength of this book is the fairly clear and straightforward language that the author uses. It demystifies it to a great degree and offers a glimpse of what's ahead to those who pursue meditation far enough.

A few caveats:
1. He is a celibate monk and holds to the idea that arhantship leads to extinguishing sex drive. "All arhants are potently impotent." It's interesting how much celibate meditation teachers emphasize this, while non-celibate ones don't. Joseph Goldstein and Gil Fronsdal are accomplished teachers who have families. I'm always suspicious of celibate people telling non-celibate people anything about sex.

2. I agree with the previous reviewer that this book contains an "absolute tone or attitude towards Buddhist practice and enlightenment." The tone becomes preachy and dogmatic. These attitudes are foreign to me in terms of Buddhism.

3. I also agree with the previous reviewer that the emphasis on remembering past lives is neither necessary nor helpful. He suggests that with meditation a person can scan their memory back into the womb and farther back. Hypnosis is a deep state of concentration in which people invent false memories and believe with all sincerity that they are real. Aside from problems of validity of this, the more important issue is it's relevance. Buddhism is about the present moment. Such an emphasis on looking for past lives is very questionable.

Some excellent alternate recommendations:
Marvin Levine, The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga
Henepola Gunaratana, Mindfulness in Plain English
Henepola Gunaratana, Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness
Gil Fronsdal, The Issue at Hand
Stephen Batchelor, Buddhism Without Beliefs

====================================
Tanggapan:

Nom de Plume says:
I don't really agree with this posting at all.

First of all, I've been a rather intensively practicing yogi for 2 years now. I spend 2+ hours in meditation each day. For those who actually practice the precepts for enlightment (moral and spiritual discipline in daily life, the disciplines for cultivating the conditions ripe for the state of dhyana the spontaneously arise, and the practices that allow the consciousness to enter such a state (meditation techniques)), the sex drive will naturally dwindle as a byproduct of effective practice. If a person puts more effort into reading about buddhism and simply being aware (for most people this can be called "being alive"), then they never reach the point where the sex drive is naturally sublimated in order to feed the spiritual transformation ensuing within. When the mind becomes subtle, it is well known to the individual the the sexual energy is very potent, indeed. Such power can either be used to gratify the senses and create and unending cycle of habitual lust engagements, or for cauterizing the cause of all habit making tendancies. There comes a certain point where any abuse of the sexual energy for sensual pleasure causes the purified consciousness an acute and agonising pain. Worldly people (and practically everyone starts out as a worldly person before entering spiritual discipline) find sense pleasures like poisoned honey. Deliciously sweet and satisfying with negative consequences to deal with afterwards. Those who have attained a certain state of spiritual purity (as evidenced by their deepening spiritual experiences during practice) find sense pleasures in just the opposite sense. Poisonously painful to engage in initially, but something tantilizing lingers in their absense.

2. The way to enlightment is like a razer's edge (really, it is). There's such a fine line towards which a person can safely advance, that it requires many rules to which a person has to abide. The rules are there by someone who's already gone the route and knows the way. If it comes off as dogmatic and preachy, then I would say the person reading isn't yet really ready for true buddhism. Rather, intellectual stimulation is what they're after. Stimulation, stimulation, stimulation. (Sounds fine when I say it once, but the fact is people repeat it over and over in action, because they're never left fully satisfied. Seek impermanent sources of happiness and you'll get impermanent happiness).

3. Hypnoses is trespass into another's mind. It's not a deep state of concentration. The mind is mentally chlorophormed so another can take control over it. History tends to repeat itself because nobody ever takes the time to learn from it and stop what causes the negative aspects of the past. Likewise in a person's life, they never learn from their past mistakes, but keep on instigating them. At a certain point in meditation, the knowledge of previous lives lived by the consciousness happens anyways. As with every spiritual occurance during meditation, a person should learn from it, and let it go.

Most Buddhist writers simply talk about dhamma, dharma, and mindfullness in daily living. This obviously is beneficial. But for those true, sincere, and devout persons who intend on making their escape from bondage, this simply isn't enough. It doesn't come close. It's akin to going to Church and learning about , and then meeting him in real life. It simply doesn't compare. It's helpful, but until you experience it for yourself, you're wasting your own time beating around the bush.

I would highly recommend this book, despite what others say. And as far as Buddhism goes, I'd really suggest people read the actual suttas, sutras, and padas of Buddhism. Go to the source.

====================================
Tanggapan:

Gabe Bona says:
Hi there,

While some might agree with the 3 points you mentioned, I think the 1 star rating of this book is very harsh. This book is a wall built of 1000 bricks. You pointed out that 3 of those 1000 are not to your liking. So, does this mean the whole wall is dismal? There are 997 good bricks in the wall too! Anyway, I guess you could have at least considered the merits of this work as well, not just its shortcomings.

Respectfully,

[andry]

duh gak ada yg terjemahan bahasa indonesia pak hud?

[Sunkmanitu Tanka Ob'waci]

Oh, no! Another dry insight versus jhanic insight.
I think both are valid, as shown in Suttas, there are cases like Bahiya, and there are cases of insight attained by using, but not inside jhana.
But somehow I against those who accept only one side and look down on the other side.
Remember, each being is unique, has their own conditions caused by their own actions.
Even Buddha said there are beings with dust in their eyes, beings that cannot attain nibanna in this lifetime. So He only established refugee for them for appropriate conditons can arise in the future.

[Umat Awam]

Wew.... apakah ada diantara warga DC yg berniat menerjemahkan kedalam bahasa indonesia??
Sy sih ngerti, tp cuma sebagian, sehingga agak sulit menagkap makna dr artikel tsb..
So, apabila ada yg berniat menerjemahkan nya ke bahasa indonesia, sy nambahin GRP nya dech..

[Sumedho]

never-ending debate huh?

Well, I have my own point of view too about vipassana vs jhana path. The key is.... what is jhana

koq jadi english yah, kebawa arus nih...

 [at] umat awam: hati2x loh kalo mo nyogok, nanti ditangkep KPK

[hudoyo]

Memang kontroversi jhana vs non-jhana sudah lama dan tidak perlu diulang-ulang lagi. Yang "baru" dalam ceramah Ajahn Brahm di atas adalah paragraf di bawah ini:

"But where there is a danger in this Western world is in vipassana, because you can get notions about vipassana from a book. You can read an idea and straight away you think, 'Now I understand.' This is where one really attaches. You think, 'This is the way it is. I've seen the way things are' - when the mind hasn't been clear enough to get beyond the defilements. Delusion is ruling the day, the defilements have caught you again. Vipassana which comes outside of a quiet clear mind is not to be relied upon. That is the danger of vipassana. So, often it is more dangerous to be stuck with a view, than to be stuck enjoying a jhana. If one is pracrising samatha, at least one knows if it is being successful or not. One can tell very clearly, very easily if the mind is quiet or not. With vipassana it may be difficult to know if the insight that has arisen in your mind is true or not - whether you really are seeing things the way they are, or whether you are deceiving yourself. That is the big danger with delusion - delusion is delusive! It tricks you."

Bagaimana pendapat teman-teman tentang paragraf ini? ...

Sebagai perbandingan, bersama ini saya tampilkan pula petikan ceramah Ajahn Chah, guru Ajahn Brahm:

On The Dangers Of Samadhi
 
Samadhi is capable of bringing much harm or much benefit to the meditator, you can't say it brings only one or the other. For one who has no wisdom it is harmful, but for one who has wisdom it can bring real benefit, it can lead him to Insight.

That which can be most harmful to the meditator is Absorption Samadhi (Jhana), the samadhi with deep, sustained calm. This samadhi brings great peace. Where there is peace, there is happiness. When there is happiness, attachment and clinging to that happiness arise. The meditator doesn't want to contemplate anything else, he just wants to indulge in that pleasant feeling. When we have been practicing for a long time we may become adept at entering this samadhi very quickly. As soon as we start to note our meditation object, the mind enters calm, and we don't want to come out to investigate anything. We just get stuck on that happiness. This is a danger to one who is practicing meditation.

We must use Upacara Samadhi. Here, we enter calm and then, when the mind is sufficiently calm, we come out and look at outer activity. 5 Looking at the outside with a calm mind gives rise to wisdom. This is hard to understand, because it's almost like ordinary thinking and imagining. When thinking is there, we may think the mind isn't peaceful, but actually that thinking is taking place within the calm. There is contemplation but it doesn't disturb the calm. We may bring thinking up in order to contemplate it. Here we take up the thinking to investigate it, it's not that we are aimlessly thinking to investigate it, it's not that we are aimlessly thinking or guessing away; it's something that arises from a peaceful mind. This is called "awareness within calm and calm within awareness." If it's simply ordinary thinking and imagining, the mind won't be peaceful, it will be disturbed. But I am not talking about ordinary thinking, this is a feeling that arises from the peaceful mind. It's called "contemplation." Wisdom is born right here.

So, there can be right samadhi and wrong samadhi. Wrong samadhi is where the mind enters calm and there's no awareness at all. One could sit for two hours or even all day but the mind doesn't know where it's been or what's happened. It doesn't know anything. There is calm, but that's all. It's like a well-sharpened knife which we don't bother to put to any use. This is a deluded type of calm, because there is not much self-awareness. The meditator may think he has reached the ultimate already, so he doesn't bother to look for anything else. Samadhi can be an enemy at this level. Wisdom cannot arise because there is no awareness of right and wrong.

With right samadhi, no matter what level of calm is reached, there is awareness. There is full mindfulness and clear comprehension. This is the samadhi which can give rise to wisdom, one cannot get lost in it. Practitioners should understand this well. You can't do without this awareness, it must be present from beginning to end. This kind of samadhi has no danger.

You may wonder where does the benefit arise, how does the wisdom arise, from samadhi? When right samadhi has been developed, wisdom has the chance to arise at all times. When the eye sees form, the ear hears sound, the nose smells odor, the tongue experiences taste, the body experiences touch or the mind experiences mental impressions — in all postures — the mind stays with full knowledge of the true nature of those sense impressions, it doesn't "pick and choose." In any posture we are fully aware of the birth of happiness and unhappiness. We let go of both of these things, we don't cling. This is called Right Practice, which is present in all postures. These words "all postures" do not refer only to bodily postures, they refer to the mind, which has mindfulness and clear comprehension of the truth at all times. When samadhi has been rightly developed, wisdom arises like this. This is called "insight," knowledge of the truth.

There are two kinds of peace — the coarse and the refined. The peace which comes from samadhi is the coarse type. When the mind is peaceful there is happiness. The mind then takes this happiness to be peace. But happiness and unhappiness are becoming and birth. There is no escape from samsara 6 here because we still cling to them. So happiness is not peace, peace is not happiness.

The other type of peace is that which comes from wisdom. Here we don't confuse peace with happiness; we know the mind which contemplates and knows happiness and unhappiness as peace. The peace which arises from wisdom is not happiness, but is that which sees the truth of both happiness and unhappiness. Clinging to those states does not arise, the mind rises above them. This is the true goal of all Buddhist practice."

Salam,
hudoyo

PS: Paragraf-paragraf ini nanti akan saya terjemahkan.

[bond]

Koq saya baca supermindfulnessnya  Ajahn Brahm malah dia bilang vipasana tetap perlu tetapi sebaiknya dilakukan setelah keluar dari jhana(kesadaran adidaya)/upacara samadhi setelah jhana agar lebih jelas melihat segala sesuatunya. Dan jika langsung dari upacara samadhi saja ke vipasana maka akan kurang jelas dan tidak sekuat upacara samadhi setelah jhana(kesadaran adidaya).

Dan menurut Sayadaw U Aganna juga demikian, dan saya belum melihat perbedaan mendasar pernyataan Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Brahm ataupun Sayadaw U Aganna. Ada kemungkinan  maksud dari Ajahn Brahm menjelaskan demikian seperti yg dikutipPak Hudoyo adalah agar tidak terburu-buru melakukan vipasanna agar tidak terjadi pengertian yg salah akibat belum kuatnya kesadaran/ baru melihat "sesuatu" langsung menanggap telah mendapat nyana2(micchaditthi). Contoh : mengamati ketidak permanenan tubuh baru bisa dikatakan memahami "Anicca" ttg tubuh jika telah melihat rupa kalapa-rupa kalapa bukan hanya dengan mengetahui muncul lenyapnya sensasi sakit atau lainnya seperti yg dialami para pemula vipasanna.

Memang Jika terjadi kemelekatan terhadap jhana adalah hal yg tidak baik juga, tetapi jhana hanyalah sebuah alat saja. Dan sangat penting pula mengetahui maksud secara langsung dari Ajahn Brahm sendiri.



 

[hudoyo]

Anda belum membaca pernyataan Ajahn Chah:

Q: Is it necessary to be able to enter absorption in our practice?
A: No, absorption is not necessary. You must establish a modicum of tranquillity and one-pointedness of mind. Then you use this to examine yourself. Nothing special is needed. If absorption comes in your practice, this is OK too. Just don't hold on to it. Some people get hung up with absorption. It can be great fun to play with. You must know proper limits. If you are wise, then you will know the uses and limitations of absorption, just as you know the limitations of children verses grown men.

Singkat saja:

Ajahn Brahm menyatakan bahwa jhana itu syarat mutlak untuk tercapainya pencerahan; tanpa jhana tidak ada pencerahan. Jelas dalam hal ini Ajahn Brahm termasuk satu kubu dengan Pa-Auk Sayadaw (dan muridnya, U Aganna Sayadaw).

Gurunya, Ajahn Chah, secara eksplisit menyatakan jhana tidak perlu untuk tercapainya pencerahan. Dalam hal ini, Ajahn Chah sependapat dengan Mahasi Sayadaw.

Penjelasan detailnya sudah sering didiskusikan orang.

Salam,
hudoyo

[bond]

Thanks infonya Pak Hud,

Mengenai jhana merupakan syarat mutlak menurut Ajahn Brahm seperti yg di kutip Pak Hud, saya pribadi no comment. Karena setiap individu memiliki kecenderungan masing2 selama itu bisa membantu kepada pencerahan tidak ada masalah. Tetapi jhana sendiri memang tidak bisa membawa kepada pencerahan hanya ketika setelah keluar dari jhana dan melakukan vipasana baru bisa membawa pencerahan. Mungkin Pak Hudoyo sudah membaca Mindfulness, bliss and beyondnya(supermindfulness) Ajahn Brahm, disitu ia menulis bahwa dalam jhana orang memang tidak bisa melakukan apa2 termasuk vipasanna. Jadi antara buku yg menyatakan satu kalimat harus juga diperbandingkan dengan buku lain yg menyatakan penjelasannya.

Dan muridnya Paauk Sayadaw yaitu Sayadaw U Aganna mengatakan upacara samadhi tanpa pernah mengalami jhana juga bisa melakukan vipasanna hanya akan lebih sulit mengamati nama dibandingkan upacara samadhi setelah keluar dari jhana. Jadi menurut saya Paauk Sayadaw tidak mengatakan jhana suatu yg mutlak untuk pencerahan. Jadi pencerahan memang dicapai bukan dalam jhana. Disinilah jhana hanya membantu untuk menekan rintangan batin. Karena ketika rintangan batin masih ada seseorang tidak mungkin bisa melakukan vipasana dengan baik dan jelas. Jadi lagi2 memang jhana tidak mutlak menurut pendapat mereka yg mana saya dengar sendiri penjelasannya dari Sayadaw U Aggana. Tetapi hanya menganjurkan cara yg lebih baik menurut mereka (Paauk Sayadaw dan murid2nya).

Dan apa yg di tulis Pak Hud tentang Ajahn Chah bahwa tanpa jhana. Tetapi dia bilang juga kalau kita melatihnya ok juga, hanya jangan terpaku disana. Ajahn Chah juga sudah mencapai jhana2 lho tapi hanya sebagai tool saja


Dan dalam salah satu buku berjudul meditasi vipasana terbitan karaniya--teknik Mahasi. Beliau(Mahasi Sayadaw) mengatakan dalam khanika samadhi yg terus menerus yg berkemampuan menekan rintangan batin, juga berhak atas nama "upacara samadhi" dan "citta visuddhi". Jika tidak, pemurnian pikiran tidak dapat muncul pada seseorang yg telah melakukan pandangan cerah murni sebagai kendaraanya dengan hanya menerapkan pandangan cerah(vipasanna) tanpa menghasilkan konsentrasi akses(upacara samadhi) maupun konsentrasi -penuh(jhana)

Gimana pandangan Pak Hud?

 

[hudoyo]

Ya, semua itu sudah lama didiskusikan oleh para pemeditasi Buddhis. - Saya lihat, semua pihak mengakui MANFAAT jhana, bahkan Mahasi Sayadaw dan Ajahn Chah mengakui itu; tapi yang dipermasalahkan bukan itu.

Yang dipermasalahkan adalah apakah jhana itu PERLU (SYARAT MUTLAK) untuk tercapainya magga-phala (nibbana)?  ... Nah, di sini para guru vipassana terbagi menjadi dua kubu besar. ... Yang satu seperti Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Thanissaro dan YM Henepola Gunaratana menyatakan jhana mutlak perlu untuk pembebasan berdasarkan sutta-sutta. ... Yang lain, Ajahn Chah, Mahasi Sayadaw menyatakan jhana tidak mutlak perlu berdasarkan pengalaman pribadi. (Ajahn Chah tidak suka mendasarkan ajaran-ajaraan beliau pada sutta-sutta, oleh karena itu saya simpulkan pernyataan beliau berasal dari pengalaman pribadi beliau.)

Bagaimana menurut pendapat saya? ... Saya tidak punya pendapat apa-apa tentang konsep jhana; konsep jhana tidak relevan dalam MMD. ... Dalam praktek MMD, orang akan masuk ke dalam keheningan yang amat mendalam, di mana pikiran & si aku berhenti ... apakah itu "jhana" atau bukan, tidak penting. ... ... Definisi 'jhana' itu sendiri juga simpang siur.

Salam,
hudoyo

[Sunkmanitu Tanka Ob'waci]

Yang satu seperti Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Thanissaro dan YM Henepola Gunaratana menyatakan jhana mutlak perlu untuk pembebasan berdasarkan sutta-sutta.

Based on Nikayas (without jhana is not found on Nikayas) & experiences (maybe)

Yang lain, Ajahn Chah, Mahasi Sayadaw menyatakan jhana tidak mutlak perlu berdasarkan pengalaman pribadi.

Based on Commentaries & experiences (maybe)

My opinion? I don't care. Jhana was taught by Buddha, Insight was taught by Buddha.
I just practice and do my best.

[hudoyo]

Yang satu seperti Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Thanissaro dan YM Henepola Gunaratana menyatakan jhana mutlak perlu untuk pembebasan berdasarkan sutta-sutta.

Based on Nikayas (without jhana is not found on Nikayas) & experiences (maybe)

Yang mengatakan Jhana MUTLAK PERLU tidak mungkin mendasarkan pernyataannya pada pengalaman pribadi. MUTLAK PERLU berarti berlaku untuk SIAPA SAJA yang mau mencapai nibbana. Statement seperti ini pasti harus didasarkan pada kitab-suci, bukan pada pengalaman pribadi.

Yang lain, Ajahn Chah, Mahasi Sayadaw menyatakan jhana tidak mutlak perlu berdasarkan pengalaman pribadi.

Based on Commentaries & experiences (maybe)

Saya belum pernah membaca Ajahn Chah mendasarkan argumentasi beliau pada kitab Komentar. ... Yah, mungkin saya salah. ...

Salam,
hudoyo