Updated 2018 - Book - The Path to Nibbana by David Johnson -In audio -Chapters 15 to 20

From: https://youtube.com/watch?v=F-hGjNJ-0eI

Context: Throughout this transcript, Bhante Vimalaramsi is the speaker unless otherwise indicated.

this is a continuation from part

- this is part 3 chapter 15 to 20 of the

book titled the path to Nirvana her

mindfulness of loving-kindness

progresses through the tranquil aware

Jonah's to awakening by David C Johnson

edition 4-16

2018 published by BTS publishing

Annapolis

Missouri chapter 15 first stage of

awakening

so tarpana mmm 111 section 19 again

monks by completely surmounting the base

of neither perception nor non-perception

Sarah Porter entered upon and abided in

the cessation of perception and feeling

attaining Nibbana path knowledge mega

finally after staying with this quiet

energetic imperturbable mind of the base

of neither perception nor non-perception

and sixth ring every tiny movement until

mind is barely moving at all you'd let

go of the last condition the last link

of ignorance and all activity ceases

everything stops and an unconditioned

state arises there is the cessation of

perception feeling and consciousness for

a few moments of minutes you don't know

you're in that state until after you

come out some will say they experienced

at lack spot or a gap in consciousness

this is nothing like any of you previous

johner experiences it isn't a gap with a

sense of time because there is nothing

missing time doesn't exist when nothing

is happening there is just the stopping

of the stream of consciousness a halting

you only know it after you come out of

it the world stops you are no longer in

samsara and it will last as long as it's

going to last there's life still exist

vitality and your life continuum still

go on your autonomic functions like your

heart beating and blood pumping continue

but your mental process has stopped

completely

when I finished radiating equanimity to

each of the points something extremely

new happened a feeling I had felt in a

meditation a couple of days ago but it

was now much clearer and more defined in

a second it was as if a membrane around

me totally broke and release me one

second for there a huge space opened up

before me the feeling that there was so

much room there were no barriers at the

same moment my face begins to fade as if

something was literally erasing it had

left me without Skinner muscles there

was happiness but without excitement

tranquility and a very very refined

attention Barcelona Spain before there

just existed slight movements of mind

but now with this temporary cessation of

all mental activity there arises right

after that a powerful clarity of mind

you have just had the deepest rest of

your life when you come back you are now

seeing the subtlest movements deeper

than you have ever experienced mind

appears like it totally erased

blackboard nothing is on it then when

mine turns back on the first mental

process is clearly seen against this

inky black background coming out of

cessation mind is radiant and observant

you have arrived at full stop the effect

of the cessation is so powerful that

whereas before the pond of your mind had

tiny little ripples on it now it is so

still and placid that you can see

anything there you can see to any depth

what is below there is no craving at all

there is no dust to obscure vision mind

is so pure that you see the smallest

detail of anything that starts to arise

in crystal clarity what you are about to

see is the first arising of

consciousness the first moment of mental

activity as your mental processes begin

again from this still point the next

thing that happens is that you see the

links of

dependent origination arise and pass

away very quickly these are sometimes in

the form of vibrations or little lights

flashes or electrical currents you will

see this in your mind and sometimes even

see it in the air in front of you you

won't know what it is very likely and

will not expect it this is the first

condition mental process in which your

mind starts to vibrate again and come

back online when this happens the eye of

wisdom mind without craving sees the

total impersonality of the process there

is no self there your deep observation

understands that there is nobody home

that what you are is just a process of

moments arising and passing away as a

result of this profound insight the

super mundane unconditioned Nibbana

arises this experience will be followed

by a momentary sense of relief like a

burden was lifted off you have just

experienced Nibbana you have become a so

tarpana

in meditation things began to slow down

the vibrations slowed to a ripple

attended in bright light

I went deeper and things seemed slower

there seemed to be something breaking up

in the light I went even deeper until

the distractions abruptly stopped like

the plug had been pulled out mine

activity abruptly stopped what was left

was like a blackout the center seemed

darker than the edges for a moment it

felt like something was missing I didn't

feel joy more like a calm relief

çb sri lanka Nibbana will not come when

you want it it will come when you are

ready when the seven factors of

awakening all line in perfect balance

like passing through the keyhole of the

door you didn't think it could be

possible yet it happened you see that in

this seemingly permanent and eternal

psychophysical process when mind stops

there really is nothing between each

thought moment that persists that

knowledge leads you to understand that

an impersonal underlies everything there

is nothing that is continuous between

each moment nothing that survives not

even God not

everything is absolutely void of self a

soul amen 111 section 19 Conte and his

taints were destroyed by his seeing with

wisdom the word here is wisdom so what

is wisdom after the cessation of

perception feeling and consciousness and

it's going to last as long as it will

last when feeling perception and

consciousness start up again you have

the opportunity of seeing exactly

clearly with very sharp mindfulness

every one of the links of dependent

origination you will see how when this

doesn't arise that doesn't arise that

each link is dependent on the previous

link you will see that everything has a

cause for arising you have uncovered the

last link of ignorance you will also see

that if it arises it will come to an end

you will see impermanence clearly all

that arises will pass away whether it be

pleasure or pain this is wisdom it is

the knowledge that you gain by directly

seeing the links of dependent

origination arise and pass away and by

seeing that there is no injuring self

this wisdom is not some sort of

conceptual philosophy some religious

tenets or Dogma it is the result of

seeing directly when you see the word

wisdom in the suttas you should

understand that this always means seeing

the links of dependent origination

directly and seeing everything that

arises as impersonal it isn't learning a

philosophy it is directly observing

reality with the next mental process

that arises you will see the whole

arising and passing away of all of the

links of dependent origination for the

duration of one instant then there is

the final letting go of ignorance and

seeing the Four Noble Truths that is

when Nirvana occurs it is just a

momentary event and just one group of

Link's firing the links are seen with

wisdoms I this takes place at a deeper

level than normal awareness people will

say they don't know what they saw but

they will know the mind to a greater or

lesser degree will be having insights

arise in

to how there is a cause that creates a

result this constant arising and passing

away of conditioned existence is the

content of who we are and that's all

there is they will now understand at an

intuitive level how dependent

origination works each link is

conditioned by the previous link each

process is conditioned by the passing

away of another process like a candle

flame that lights another candle one

candle burns down but the next candle

lights up being ignited buddy

previous candle lit by bit you arise and

pass away you are changing little by

little over time like a great city that

arises from an empty piece of land each

building arises one at a time each

shovel of dirt carried off and dumped

one at a time with thee constant arising

and passing away of causes this great

city is built the next shovelful lived

her taken away changes it once again no

one person has built it just many

shovels and people shoveling it's a

process with no real beginning and no

real end we give cities names but these

are just concepts to label these groups

of buildings the perception aggregate of

the five aggregates is partially memory

and partly Bolling perception is what

puts a name on this group of buildings

it labels it either New York or San

Francisco depending on what for example

visual forms arise in our own case we

are given a name like John and then we

personally identify with that name as if

some underlying entity were controlling

everything but it isn't it is just a

concept the city itself is not one solid

thing it is the result of all these

causes that make it what it is but in

this instant only in the next moment it

has changed to something else in the

same way you are a completely impersonal

process there is no one a soul behind it

it is automatically happening and will

continue forever into the future until

you become fully awake and exit the

wheel of samsara this is so

profound it after these links pass away

Nibbana arises just for an instant in

the suttas it says thought and his

taints were destroyed with wisdom

meaning that nirvana arises right after

you see the links of dependent

origination and it destroys a certain

measured amount of craving it destroys

the first three what are called fetters

step-by-step attainment of Nirvana the

cessation of feeling perception and

consciousness occurs this means that

everything we consider a person stops

there is a blank state a blackout avoid

Ness all mental activity stops on an EEG

one would guess the indicator flatlines

for just a moment

following the cessation because of the

incredible clarity created by the

experience of cessation the first mental

activity a set of twelve links arises

and passes away they might be seen like

bubbles a little flashing lights wisdoms

I observe Sutter and total in

personality in this first mental process

as the links arise and pass away with no

craving to cloud mind the links are seen

as just an impersonal process with no

inherent self just a group of neurons

firing that is all you are after the

last link of ignorance passes away

Nibbana arises there is a feeling of

relief for a moment a unique feeling in

the mind that there has been a great

burden thrown off joy starts to arise

all pervading joy that can last for up

to several days it may continue longer

but sometimes you just get used to the

state and don't notice it anymore

note that the relief and the joy that

follows a different feelings you should

notice this difference there was

definitely joy but I think what followed

was the mind jumping for a brief moment

oh wow what just happened because it was

not like the nothingness between the

flickering of consciousness and yet

pervading joy persisted after the

blanking out and continued even after

the meditation this kind of joy I

couldn't compare to drunkenness although

I can see how people might do so because

if I

myself in the mirror my eyes were just

so relaxed and I had a wide smile on my

face

it's definitely of a different quality I

think Bart a once called it relief and I

could definitely apply that to it mind

was totally Aquinas and relaxed and

balanced and only focused on what the

body was doing no matter how mundane for

example when I went to put pizza in the

oven there were no reflections of

thoughts or anything in the mind my

focus was on unboxing the pizza slowly

almost like an automaton without any

involvement yet I was totally present

and aware of each action happening SD

California the first time nirvana occurs

many people will not recognize or see

the 12 links but they will have the

experience of Nibbana regardless at the

next level called fusion it is likely

they will witness more clearly the links

rising and passing away fruition

knowledge is much deeper it happens in

this way for many people when they

experienced the first path the so

tarpana paths knowledge can have the

cessation with the relief but the links

themselves just are not clear they may

report more often a blackout where they

just disappeared and then came back

the fruition will be attained later

after they have practiced some more this

will cement in the attainment in a

deeper way again when wisdom arises the

first three of the ten fetters are

eliminated in the first path attainment

all of thee fetters are fully abandoned

after the attainment of full awakening

which is arahant ship

what is nirvana Nibbana is described in

the poly Tech's as a dar - or element

earth air fire water space and

consciousness are elements as taught by

the Buddha the Nibin Adar is also an

element and its other qualities are

described by bhikkhu bodhi here the

Buddha also refers to near Bonner as AI

Itano

this means realm plane or sphere it is a

sphere where there is nothing at all the

corresponds to our mundane experience

and therefore it has to be described by

way of negations as the negation of all

the limited and determinant qualities of

conditioned things the Buddha also

refers to nib honor as a dar - an

element the deathless element he

compares the element of Nibbana to a

notion he says the just as the great

ocean remains at the same level no

matter how much water pours into it from

thee rivers

without increase a decrease so the

Nirvana element remains the same no

matter whether many a few people attain

nirvana he also speaks of Nirvana as

something that can be experienced by the

body and experience that is s'vivon so

powerful that it can be described as

touching the deathless element with

one's own body the Buddha also refers to

near Bonner as a state pada as Amitabha

dart the deathless State or acute a

Parvathi imperishable state another word

used by the Buddha to refer to nirvana

is Sakura

which means truth an existing reality

this refers to nib onerous the truth a

reality that the noble ones have known

through direct experience so all these

terms considered as a whole clearly

established that Nirvana is an actual

reality and not the mere destruction

if defilements of the cessation of

existence Nibbana is unconditioned

without any origination and is timeless

when the near banda element touches

craving it is like the water of the

great ocean putting the fire out

PSSs is no more fire nee means no and

banna means fire no fire Nibbana

venerable boorda dasa baku in an article

entitled Nibbana for everyone a truth

message from suan mokkh adapted and

translated by Santi Paro Baku also

defines Nirvana as an element it is the

coolness when the defilements are ended

Nibbana was a whole other matter than

death instead it's a kind of life that

knows no death Nirvana is the thing

which sustains life thus preventing

death it itself can never die although

thee body must die eventual lie the

cessation and the experience of Nirvana

are two different things

some say when mind stops that is Nibbana

no it is what happens afterward which is

seeing the links arise that causes the

profound insight into existence to arise

that is nirvana

we can't describe the experiences of

Nirvana that happens in each path of

sainthood with conditioned words as it

is beyond our conceptual mind to

perceive but it is what comes after the

experience that gives you a clue as to

what has just happened as described

before some explained feeling a moment

of relief after it happens some

experience a deep understanding of

dependent origination some say they just

went away into a black hole or

disappeared then slowly a mild to strong

euphoria arises I am careful not to use

the word joy here it is beyond that some

describe it like steam that ascends

slowly in mind of perhaps a minty

feeling this is what we call

all-pervading joy it seeps out from

every pore of your body you may not

notice it at first but soon you feel

very uplifted and elevated it is a

feeling of happiness are grounded in

very strong equanimity you realize in a

flat

that there is no controller there is no

ego there is no self everything is

impersonal

it is said no self no problem what a

relief

there is nothing to worry about a

control it is all impersonal arising and

passing away on its own

all of these mental states are arising

from causes they are just conditioned by

previous actions in fact the meaning of

cama poly or karma sanskrit is action

there is the action and then the result

from that action v Parker there is no

self that you need to psychoanalyze to

get to the real problem of this

depression and neuroses once the concept

if self is gone there is nobody left to

be depressed or more clearly nobody left

to take a painful feeling personally it

is only a feeling and it isn't your

feeling you may notice that everything

looks a little different now your senses

appear to be heightened more than normal

meditation might make them colors are

brighter or you just find yourself

looking at the trees with Orand wonder

you notice the mind is sublimely quiet

you'll be asked if you notice a change

in your personality do you feel

different do you have a change in

perspective for some it is a dramatic

change and for others it is subtler in

terms of perception yes I can see a

noticeable shift everything that's

happening around me no longer has my

emotional involvement good bad or

indifferent there's a visible and

experiencial impersonal nature to the

events around me and my mind is no

longer reacting to things

I am taking my time with things not in a

rush there's nowhere to go

what's the hurry and there's a

pleasantness pervading my ctn's calm

collected and happy sb California you

will say your mind feels very relieved

and happy you talked about how you

understand now how everything arises due

to causes and conditions you are

starting to understand deeply what the

links are and how they're dependent on

each other instead of understanding them

intellectually you now understand them

directly you may use the simile of the

cloth as the Buddha did how everything

with its causes and conditions weaves

together to make a cloth it is all

impersonal sutter means thread in Pali

all the Sutter's weave together to make

the cloth the cloth represents your wise

understanding of the whole process of

the Buddha's teaching prior to it the

experience I felt gradual changes after

each sitting like anger reducing and

catching some thoughts half way after

the blackout anger worries stress etc

seem to be massively reduced peace of

mind occasionally negative things would

arise and I could feel a slight tension

that I would relax who didn't require

too much manual intervention also unlike

earlier where I was catching them

halfway through I was aware at the much

earlier my senses seemed more acute

smells as stronger colors seemed

brighter and I'm seeing details I didn't

before

Seba sri lanka you may or may not

remember seeing very much of this but

you will know it this is wisdoms I the

profound knowledge from directly seeing

the deep mind sees what happened and it

has understood what it means this is

wisdom seeing the links of dependent

origination this is the path knowledge

you are now on the path to the full

experience of the first

stage of awakening decisions arise in

your mind and you commit an action that

has a result like a painful a pleasant

feeling arising in the future

breaking precepts results in painful

consequences following precepts result

in wholesome pleasant results what

results do you want now you know what is

wholesome and what leads to wholesome

most people will experience the first

path knowledge in a sitting meditation

but some have reported that it happened

after washing dishes or even turning

over and going back to sleep Nibbana

happens when your knowledge is mature

and you are ready at the Meditation

Center in Missouri we see people get the

path attainment every now and then and

one of the principle ways you can tell

is that the phase changes it is like all

the tension from a lifetime just

disappears it looks as though the face

drops the wrinkled forehead flattens out

you can just see the equanimity bubbling

there is a glowing and a radiance that

is there the speech is more controlled

than less emotional many times bhante

after he comes from the interviews will

point out to meditator to me and say

look at the face when I look if I look

close enough I see an emotionless but

peaceful angelic expression at just a

big smile with her glowing radiance the

wasn't there before after a few days the

most dramatic of these effects

disappears as the hindrances make the

way back just not as strong as before

started off radiating equanimity which

was strong right after walking with

radiating equanimity immediately went

into neither perception nor

non-perception

no desire no craving for anything just

allowing mine to relax deeper and deeper

and deeper while staying on quiet mind a

cessation plank occurred and immediately

after emergence stayed in 8th jhana for

a while then came out and continued to

the joy and equanimity that followed was

refreshing the view of the world around

has changed drastically there is non

attachment and non aversion as I am just

staying with quiet mind smiling without

effort and radiating compassion to

others I've noticed I'm unable to break

the precepts in that I'm automatically

following them without a second thought

and without effort sense of me has just

vanished the world is seriously

different in the way it is experienced

since I began this retreat sensual

pleasures are nothing compared to the

meditation and being unhappy seems like

an impossibility there is tremendous

silence in the mind and interactions

with others are joyful and happy with

lots of laughing and delightful words

all the while radiating loving kindess

to them attachment or aversion make no

sense at all when there's no one being

attached or feeling a version and no

thoughts in the mind sense of ownership

too has faded there's nothing to own a

keep what comes comes and what goes goes

if it comes okay if it goes okay - I'm

an automatic happiness mode everything

that happens around me can be good or

bad and nothing at all and I can just

smile laugh and be happy for no reason

there's no sense of tiredness a letter G

who is being tired

moreover coming out of the meditation

seems to generate a lot of energy for

the day it's better than any energy

drink or coffee craving has become

minuscule it just doesn't register as

something the mind can do anymore SD

California so tarpana fruition fala the

first path knowledge which is

experienced one time is followed by the

first fusion knowledge the path

knowledge gets you through the door

the fooiish and knowledge closes the

door and locks in your understanding

this all happens when you have another

cessation moment arise in your

meditation and you experience nirvana

again after you experience the sotapanna

path attainment as outlined above then

if you sit and continue to meditate

exactly as you did before you will

experience that process of a blank spot

and flashes again with another feeling

of relief this is the so tarpana

fruition this is the first stage of four

stages of sainthood you have entered the

temple now but there are three more

levels of attainment following so

tarpana which we will get into following

this chapter however you might be too

Restless to sit right after your path

for tainment this is due to the strong

all-pervading joy you will be

experiencing over the next few days as

your energy wanes you'll be encouraged

to go back to your chair or cushion and

gain the fruition of sotapanna

you may be told that your mind is very

strong now

do not waste any time use this time to

make even more progress you are

understandably happy about your past

experience but now that your mind is

bright and very clear it is helpful to

continue to the fruit of the first stage

of awakening your mind is open and ready

so just continue with your practice

gaining the fruit is what changes the

personality in a major way gaining the

first path is a preliminary step to

gaining the full attainment and fruition

of so tarpana the meditator with only

the path experience can actually slide

back due to bad behavior in breaking

precepts you can lose your attainment

this is why it is called the path

knowledge you have become a collar so

tarpana little stream enter at you are

still on the path not done yet you must

keep the precepts fully meditate and

attain cessation once again once the

fruition is attained the path has been

fully traveled and you and now a noble

one who will never break the precepts

you have reached the first level of

sainthood fontava malarum she likes to

say you have given up a notion of

suffering a sotapanna purifies and

eliminates from his mind the first three

fetters of being there attend in all

one Sakura ditty personality belief you

now know without any doubt that there is

no permanent self or soul to the Shakya

sceptical doubt about the Dhamma

you will have no doubt about the path

you will know how you achieved what you

did and how to continue the practice you

have total confidence in the Buddha's

method you have full confidence in the

Buddha Dharma and Sangha 3 sila bart are

para masseur clinging to rites and

rituals thinking that they will by

themselves lead to awakening you will

understand that bowing chanting or

worshipping the bud DHA will not get you

to the experience of Nirvana no matter

how much you do this you must do the

work of meditation and study to attain

nirvana

with the second step of fruition being

attained you will not be able to break

precepts anymore you might try to do it

just as a test but you won't be able to

go through with it with only the path

knowledge you could potentially break

them and this is the danger of not

obtaining the fruit with only the first

path knowledge it is still possible that

if you did continue to break precepts

and behave badly you could lose your

attainment you would have to go through

the process having the experience of

seeing dependent origination again

sutter m in 105 Sun Nakata sutter

addresses this possibility with the

simile of the wound and healing if one

does not take care of the wound it is

liable to become infected however with

proper care the wound will heal

completely without any possibility of

becoming infected in the same way with

the proper taking care of path knowledge

your attainment will not be lost with

the fruition your attainment is locked

in there is no going back to the state

of the world link path who Jonah as a so

tarpana you're destined to have no more

than seven lifetimes before you get off

the wheel become a full arrogant with

all ten fetters destroyed and attained

final parinibbana also when you are

reborn at worst you will not fall below

the human realm you are also assured

that your next life will be pleasant

where you can continue to do your work

to get off the wheel there are 31 planes

of existence is you will not fall into

the painful hellish realms now you won't

come back as an animal a ghost you may

return to the human realm or to one of

the six devar a celestial heaven realms

where there is only enjoyment and

pleasures if you attained jhana and you

certainly did practicing Twi M you will

be destined for at least one of the

Brahma realms with incredibly long life

spans where beings feed on joy to

sustain themselves or you may go even

higher into one of the four arrow /

realms where there is only mind no

tasting a touching there exclusively

mental realms with no physical body in

these realms it is said that lifespans

are measured with it one followed by

miles of zeros so they are very long if

for some reason you have only attained

the path knowledge and having broken

precepts but you did not continue your

meditation in this lifetime

thus utters say you will attain the

fruition on it before your death most of

the time it mil come a lot sooner on a

retreat fruition could come in only a

few days or even hours if you continue

to practice without a break recently a

man in Chicago experienced the path at

lunch time and the fruition arose for

him at 1:20 a.m. thick night he didn't

see the links the first time but with

the fruition he did report them all the

higher paths are attained by just

continuing the practice in the same way

there will be deeper and subtler fetters

to see and abandon your meditation will

be easier but still the balance of the

fetters will continue to arise now your

confidence will be very strong and

you'll be without doubt the suttas also

described another way of becoming a so

tarpana simply hearing a passage of text

can bring about the so tarpana or

sakagami paths in one translation SOT a

means here

and panna means wisdom wisdom through

hearing this is rare but it had happened

for many of the Buddha's disciples like

Sarah Porter and maulana but for this to

happen thei teacher must say exactly the

right thing and the student must be

ready again this is a very rare

occurrence and it tends to take a Buddha

to accomplish it now you have had the

first two experiences of Nirvana and

have become a sotapanna with fruition

this is the goal of e8 jhanas and the

path I have been describing you have

become a noble one one who has now

broken out of the samsaric wheel of

existences but there is still more to do

there are the four levels of noble ones

and three more I will describe below

that you still must go through to fully

eliminate all craving in your mind if

you want to accomplish all of this in

one lifetime chapter 16 second stage

sakagami meditation instruction now that

you have attained the first path and

fruition of so tarpana how do you

continue that is easy just keep doing

what you are doing each stage of

awakening is just one more step on the

ladder to eliminating craving now the

meditator spends two minutes in each

direction radiating equanimity and then

all around as before and again when the

feeling fades away you observe the quiet

clear mind and six are any phenomena

that arise that's it just keep going and

this is the process all the way to the

highest attainment the second stage of

awakening is a continued deepening of

the meditation practice you become a

saccade egami when you cv links of

dependent origination arising and

passing away twice versus only one time

for the sotapanna there is a cessation

and you quickly see the twelve links of

dependent origination one time and then

they arise and pass away a second time

right after the first in total 24 links

arise and pass away all at once my train

cars one after the other this sealing of

the links is followed by a moment of

relief this is not just based on the

Sutter texts but has been observed in

students experience after you attained

sakagami path Magga the secod egami

fruition fala comes when you once again

experience cessation and the links of

dependent origination arising and

passing away twice sometimes in the

paths experienced the student does not

actually see the bubbles which are the

links but they will see them at the

fusion as before it is at fruition where

the personality changes permanently path

knowledge means really you are just on

the path to the fruit a completion of

the secod egami stage at this stage you

weaken but don't fully eliminate the

fetters of one karma raga sensuous

craving a lust to via par de ill-will

hatred anger aversion and fear these

have been loosened at times these

unwholesome states will still arise if

the circumstance presents itself you

will tend to avoid anger and lust seeing

them as course states if they arise you

will notice six are them you'll be

surprised if they hang around very long

you'll be motivated to continue your

meditation to fully eliminate these

disturbing states of mind but they will

still be present just not as strong it

is at the fruition there is a strong

release and letting go of sensual

desires this doesn't necessarily mean

sexual desire but the course desires for

sensual pleasures like entertainment

eating out and bodily pleasure sexual

desire is deeper and is let go later a

note here is that if the fusion of any

path is not experienced in this lifetime

it will happen upon your death as a

psychotic garmi you will have no more

than just one time that you have to

return to the human or higher realms

before you

attained final parinibbana and release

from samsara as a so tarpana

it was seven the quality of the sitting

was much different from the first

session today this one being the final

meditation of today I began with quiet

mind as object after having done the

walking meditation with equanimity as

the object no preconceptions if what was

to come in the meditation automatic six

ring which has become an impersonal and

automatic process a blank occurred and

there was strong balance but more see

quality of mind itself is transformed

it's as if and the best way I can

describe it is to use a metaphor like

the mind of an infant wouldn't know

exactly how an infant's mind works and

what I mean by that his mind is empty

empty of concepts empty of thoughts

empty of identity empty of sorrow empty

even of bliss certainly bliss arose

after the blank but the mind is

following this meditation to tally free

there is no craving there is no wanting

desire is striving to be a not be mind

functions according to the needs of a

given moment but otherwise is utterly

and profoundly quiet even the concept of

being in the moment is utterly gone who

is there to be in the moment total

freedom from all ideas notions Bay Leafs

thoughts a fresh and clean slate SD

California three ways to Nirvana as

outlined in this book the first and

easiest way to reach nirvana is through

the jhana

path what I'm describing in this book

there are however two other ways to

attain nirvana the second way is the way

the Buddha's own awakening process

unfolded he went to the fourth jhana and

then one he remembered his past lives

too he visited other realms and saw how

and why beings were reborn there and

finally three he saw how camera works

how causes create in more causes in a

never-ending wheel that leads to old age

and death disenchantment and this

passion arose through this knowledge and

Nibbana was attained this way is called

the threefold knowledge

Tavita that is one knowledge of past

lives

two knowledge of beings in other realms

pand three knowledge of the destruction

of the Taine's Nibbana the third way is

through attaining all the psychic powers

or it is and then attaining Nibbana this

practice is most suited to people who

are sensitive to feeling or emotionally

driven being sensitive to feeling means

you are a feeling type person who is

governed by your heart the other type of

person is an intellectual person ruled

by logic and pragmatic decisions they

are best suited to go through the

jonna's people who are mixed may take

the Buddha's path for thee threefold

knowledge ago through the jonna's you

can be taught to remember your past

lives but we will not go into this

practice here you can ask the teacher if

it would be helpful and they can decide

whether they will teach it to you based

on your progress and your personality

type the psychic power root is a

difficult path and can take many years

it brings with it a danger of becoming

attached to these powers and not wanting

to proceed it can bring up a lot of

conceit and arrogance about having such

unique abilities in the opinion of the

bonteri malarum she it is the most

difficult of the ways he says you can

learn this but it will take you 10 years

and you will have to stay with him for

that whole time chapter 17 third stage

Hana gommi the Buddha considered the

first and second stage of attainments to

be learner states the fruit of the

meditation starts to develop at the next

stage of a Nogami

where hatred and sensual desire are

eliminated together with the previous

three taints that were eliminated at so

tarpana these are the five lower fetters

this is truly a worthy and elevated

state of being paramount which is the

fourth and final stage then eliminates

the rest of the ten fetters completely

to attain the higher paths of a Nogami

and arahant one must practice meditation

whereas before one might have become

awakened to the first two paths just by

listening to a phrase it will now

require intense meditation practice with

full passage through the Jonah's deep

meditation is needed to see even more

clearly the nature of the links of

dependent origination and how mind is

working taking everything personally

after more meditation and devotion to

the practice you will experience

cessation again then you'll see the

links of dependent origination arise and

pass away three times after a cessation

moment in quick succession this is the a

Nogami Magra path knowledge of the third

stage of awakening after you experience

a Nogami Magga if you experience the

same thing again then a Nogami faller of

flourish and knowledge will arise three

times a Nanna gommi has very strong

equanimity nothing disturbs you except

sometimes some restlessness that arises

whereas before you might have reacted

with some sensual desire lust hatred or

aversion this is no longer the case in

addition there isn't the slightest fear

now because of the elimination of hatred

fear is part of hatred you will have

destroyed the first five fetters

completely one Sakura dirty personality

belief in an eye or personal selfish

soul two vicious skeptical dad that the

Dhamma is the true way 3 sila bart are

paramus are clinging to rites and

rituals for karma raga sensual craving

lust 5vr pada Hill will hatred anger

aversion and fear now you are very

balanced in mind this is not some super

conscious state but simply the removal

of most of the craving Tana from your

mind you are still you and you still

have your personality but the influences

of the craving neurotic fearful self not

there now you can continue working at

your job and be in the world work that

is involved in honest ethical pursuits

will appeal to you you'll be completely

truthful and fair in your dealings with

your customers and fellow employees you

will treat your fellow employees with

kindness and not be shaken by any out

from the boss you will notice that you

are no longer bothered by the petty

fears and hang-ups that most people

experience you'll become a better

employee in the better boss you will

have no fear of anything and never be

intimidated you will follow directions

perfectly but have no problem with

pushing back against unwise orders given

to you and will not fear to talk to the

boss in an even unemotional way you

won't complain a gossip with other

employees about what is wrong and you

might even be promoted up the ranks

truly worldly success will come as you

achieve deep spiritual success romantic

interest is removed in a major way at

the path knowledge and eliminated

entirely at the fruition knowledge for a

Nogami you will no longer desire

marriage or a family however if you

currently are married to have a family

your romantic lust will be replaced with

strong pure loving kindness you will

live with your mate as best friends a

brother and sister you won't have any

more children because your desire for

sex will be lost you'll be the most

wonderful parent conceivable you won't

ever get mad and you will always love

and make plenty of time for your child

your two-year-old won't get on your

nerves anymore because you know that's

the nature of a two-year-old it's okay

you will acquire what you need and not

what you want you won't have big desires

to do things other than being happy with

what you have in what you are doing

right now you will want to share what

you have learned in your meditation by

teaching but you won't be attached to

promoting anything if it happens it

happens your happiness with what you

have achieved will be something you

naturally want to share with others if

you are working gradually you will move

away from just doing a job to make money

to looking for ways to help people

directly by starting a meditation group

or teaching meditation full-time people

will ask you what depression is a what

suffering is and you'll be able to tell

them with no doubts you will know how

your mind works

we'll be able to explain it to others

and best of all going to the dentist

won't bother you you will never be born

again in the sensuous realms if you

don't attain arahant in this lifetime

you'll be reborn in one of the five high

Brahma realms called the pure abodes

where there are only other a Nogami

Xanterra hands for this realm you are

destined to attain Harahan a Thep and

get off the wheel but there is still

more to do there are ten fetters and you

have removed five there are yet five

more these are the final obstacles to

fully Awakening and freedom from even a

wisp of craving chapter 18 fourth stage

Aravind

when you become an arahant there is

nothing more that can disturb your mind

you will experience arahat Omega and

arahato fallow

path and fruition with each path and

each fruition experience you'll witness

the arising and passing away of the

links of dependent origination four

times very quickly you will now have

completely let go of all ten fetters of

being there is no further mental

suffering for you of any kind one Sakura

Duty personality belief in an eye or

personal self assault the realisation of

the total impersonality of all existence

- Vishal kitch a sceptical doubt that

the correct practice of right effort is

the true way to awakening 3 sila Bart

our Paramus are realizing that rites and

rituals by themselves do not lead to

awakening for karma raga craving for

sensual pleasures 5vr pada Hill will

hatred and fear 6 Rupa raga and Haru

pariah the desire for material and

immaterial existence the desire to be

reborn in any realm of existence this

fetter listing her has these two desires

for existence combined into one which is

different from the way they are normally

listed closing parenthesis 7 mana

conceit comparing with somebody else

thinking in your mind I am better than

you or I am less than you

comparing yourself to others eight thin

emitter sloth and torpor

although sloth and torpor are frequently

not classically included as part of the

fetters sloth and torpor considered as

one of the hindrances which is why Bart

Ava malarum she added here the suttas

list this as a hindrance quite clearly

nine ADAAA restlessness and worry ten

effigy pigments of the Four Noble Truths

and the workings of dependent

origination you will be sought out for

your wisdom as there is no craving left

in your mind and your mind is completely

transparent you see how your mind works

and can easily explain it to others the

Buddha was an arrogant and passed

through all of the jhanas and went

through all the stages of awakening it

is said you could ask the Buddha a

question and he would give you the

perfect answer

he always said exactly what was called

for at the time you may not have the

depth of his understanding or ability to

speak but it will be close you will have

experienced Nirvana the same number of

times but your understanding of what you

saw our ability to explain it may be

less the difference between a Buddha and

an arahant is that the Buddha has gone

through countless lifetimes of

purification and can be compared to a

bottle that is completely empty clear

and sparkling there will be no taint a

smell of what was there before in an

arahant there may be just a whiff of the

personality that was there before like a

milk bottle that is emptied and cleaned

out but with some faint remnant of what

was there nonetheless both a border and

an arahant Oberth empty of craving and

ego both have the same attainments

another difference here is that a Buddha

comes to wisdom solely through their own

efforts while an era hand reaches

awakening by hearing the teachings of a

Buddha when somebody asks you if you

have any attachments to relatives a

family you will say no there is nothing

that makes your mind lose its balance

yet arahants are not automatons the

Buddha was hardly an automaton he not

only responded to P

who needed his help but went from place

to place finding beings with little dust

in their eyes who he felt could

understand his teachings he initiated

conversations seeking out beings that he

could help awaken he invited other

teachers to come and argue their views

with him in order to teach more students

and convince more people he knew the

true way it was said that he taught the

divers and beings in other realms while

everyone else was asleep at night you

will compassionately take care of any

problem that you find you will always

help others to overcome problems but

will never push your help on them you'll

be equally compassionate to all beings

and not just members of your family your

loving kindness now knows no bounds or

limits you will treat the lowly and as

well as you treat your closest friend

you will not proselytize ism you will

answer questions and bring up Dharma at

the right time it is unlikely anyone

would ever know about your attainment as

there is no longer conceited desire to

say you are better than anyone and as

far as you are concerned your mind is

simply clear and that is all there may

arise in you some psychic powers like

reading minds of something else but it

just depends on your past karmic actions

Sara Potter had little in the way of

powers yet he was an intellectual giant

and called the general of e Dharma

molana' had every power that was

possible and then some but his intellect

was not as sharp as he had more of a

feeling or emotional type of personality

feeling personalities have a strong

tendency to be able to develop psychic

powers your intuition about things will

be exquisite your meditation practice

will be very deep with no distractions

you can decide to go into a jhana or

even cessation Narada itself at will

you'll be able to resolve to sit in the

cessation if perception feeling and

consciousness for up to seven days if

you go any longer than that your body

will lose its heat and vitality and die

you must be careful going into a state

of extended cessation is of great

benefit because when you come out of

this state your mind will be extremely

energetic and awake you will need much

less sleep the Buddha was said to have

slept only an hour per night

people with the fruition of a Nogami

also have limited ability to go into a

cessation and there are now students

that can make this determination and

sit-in cessation for as long as they

wish

theoretically based on the Sutter's you

can sit for seven full days and get up

as if you had just recently sat down

with no pain full of energy this

cessation stayed is different than what

is mentioned in the suttas as he

attained to the cessation of perception

feeling and consciousness and his taints

were destroyed by seeing with wisdom

when this state has attained you do not

see the links arise and attain nirvana

it is simply a stilling and stopping of

mind why one doesn't see the links again

and attained Nirvana again I cannot say

all we can say is that there is a

cessation and there is a cessation

different in some way there is also a

difference between the cessation state

of an allegory versus an arahant

cessation or in pali narada is a

stopping of the mental stream just like

when you turn the water off from the

faucet and it drips a little bit and

then stops there is no more water narada

is the stopping of all mental activity

it is when mind becomes so tranquil that

it just stops

however the arahants mind is so pure

that when he determines to go into this

cessation experience it is a state

closer to Nibbana an unconditioned state

it is not just a stopping but something

else instead of the conditioned mind

stopping my now moves toward the

unconditioned Bakunin and under in his

series they mind stilled in sermons

sixteen goes into this subject and calls

this state by its pali name arahat of

allah so Mahdi he explains it here but

the awakening in Nirvana

is not of such a temporary character why

because all the influxes that lead one

int with e samsaric slumber with its

dreams of recurrent births are made

extinct in the light of that perfect

knowledge of

realization that is why the term ass of

Acharya extinction of influxes is used

in the discourses as an epithet of

nirvana the arahants accomplished this

feat in the concentration on the fruit

of era and hoed para hatoful a samadhi

fontava malarum she has traveled the

world and talked to and studied under

many of the recognized meditation

masters of our time he is inevitably

asked if he has met any other hands

what about a fill-in-the-blank he says

no so far he has not met anyone that he

felt was arrogant he says you need to

spend time evaluating someone to be sure

they have no more fetters but he is

hopeful that we will have one soon you

are at the end of the Eightfold Path you

have eliminated ignorance and craving

through thoroughly understanding the

Four Noble Truths you have traveled the

Eightfold Path to the end of suffering

you will live out your current life part

will not be born again to the maelstrom

of samsara and will not be subject to

its disease you have found freedom you

have become another noble one in the

Buddha's dispensation mmm 21 monks

rightly speaking were it to be said of

anyone he has attained mastery and

perfection in noble virtue attained

mastery and perfection in Irbil

collectiveness attained mastery and

perfection in noble wisdom attained

mastery and perfection in noble

deliverance it is of Sarah Potter indeed

but rightly speaking this should be said

22 monks rightly speaking were it to be

said of anyone he is the son of the

Blessed One born of his breast born of

his mouth born of the Dharma created by

the Dharma an heir in the Dharma not an

heir in material things

it is of Sara / - indeed but rightly

speaking this should be said 23 monks

the matchless wheel of the Dharma set

rolling by the tathagata is kept rolling

rightly by Sarah Porter that is what the

Blessed One said the monks were

satisfied and delighted in a Blessed

ones words in a Baku whose chains had

destroyed these last patron delusion are

abandoned cut off at the root

like a palm stamp done away with so that

they are no longer subject to futa

arising

chapter 19 the power of Jonna

experiencing the state of Jonna in this

lifetime is a very powerful and

far-reaching event that you can achieve

pretty quickly in this lifetime in fact

it is only second to attaining Nibbana

itself why is it so important it is

important because that when you attain

even one moment of jannah the Sutter's

say that if you keep your precepts and

continue to lead a relatively moral life

until your death you'll be destined at a

minimum to be reborn into a realm called

a brahmaloka this is a very high

heavenly realm the corresponds to the

last and highest most jhana you have

attained in your practice for example if

the last and highest Jharna you

experienced during your lifetime was the

third jhana then you would be reborn

into the third jhana realm at brahmaloka

at the highest state degree in this

realm it is called the Davos of

refulgent glory subhana devar because of

the great merit to wholesome energy of

the jannah you will never return to a

human of the lower heaven realms much

less hell ghosts or animal realms now if

that isn't good news then there is an

even more interesting fact that the

suttas described and is found in thee

anga tara nicaya you will attain nirvana

that in that realm without any return to

a lower realm not only are you reborn

into a brahmaloka

but you never take rebirth in any lower

realm even if you have not attained

Nirvana and all it took was to

experience jhana just once this should

motivate you to go sit it is widely

written in most books on Buddhism that

should you attain so tarpana or higher

attainment that you will return at most

seven times to any realm before

attaining final Nirvana or arahant ship

but it can actually only be as little as

one time if you attained Nirvana through

the jhana practice note this is the

tranquil aware jhana state we are

talking about you'll be only reborn one

time in the highest Jarah realm that you

experienced on attained final awakening

there

there are subtle references to support

this coming up but first we must address

a common misconception that you must

actually be in the state of Jonah while

you are dying to be reborn into that

higher realm attaining Jannah just one

time the suttas to say that if you

attain Jannah then you are automatically

reborn into the corresponding brahmaloka

realm and never return back to a lower

realm however most people think that

when you die you have to be in the state

of Jannah the thought is that if you

attain the first jhana then rebirth is

in the first jhana realm rebirth is very

pleasant and is one Eon long there if

you attain the second jhana then this

realm is higher still and so on up to

the eighth level of e aru per base of

neither perception nor non-perception

abuse the below sutter it is a satyr

central dotnet translation but I am

going to change some of the text to Baku

bodies version this becomes clearer with

his anger tara nicaya translation

printed by wisdom publications in 2012

on page 507 this is a satyr entitled

goodwill loving-kindness the book of

falls satyr 125 this is to address the

skeptics that think that to be reborn in

a brahmaloka requires that you be in the

jhana meditation state at the moment of

your death hang guitar Anika 125 5 hook

of falls loving-kindness monks there are

these 4 types of individuals to be found

existing in the world which for there is

the case where an individual keeps

pervading the first direction as well as

the second direction the 3rd and the 4th

with an awareness imbued with

loving-kindness a matter thus he keeps

pervading above below and all around

everywhere and in every respect the

all-encompassing cosmos with an

awareness imbued with good will loving

kindness abundant expansive immeasurable

a free from hostility free from ill will

he savors that longs for that finds

satisfaction through that staying there

fixed on that dwelling that are often

not falling away from that DJ easily

able to return to that jhana then when

he dies he reappears in conjunction with

the divers of Brahmas retinue first

jhana realm the divers of Brahmas

retinue monks have a lifespan of an eon

if we look at the sutter this idea of

having to be in the jhana state that

death appears not to be the case luckily

you only need to be able to experience

in the time period that is near your

death through a normal sitting the

ability to get back into the jhana again

with this condition you have fulfilled

the criteria the only exception would be

if you had committed any of the five

heinous crimes killing an arahant

killing your mother or father causing a

schism in the Sangha or wounding a

Buddha all of which are either

impossible or extremely unlikely as long

you meet these criteria you'll be reborn

into it for example that very pleasant

first jhana realm and if you are able to

attain the first jhana in the time

period around your death then you'll be

assured of being reborn into that realm

it doesn't say you have to be in the

jhana at the moment of death who could

actually accomplish that anyway you are

dying you may be sick and weak it would

take a Buddha but then he is already

fully enlightened and it would not apply

to him anyway

most meditator Twi M students would

likely be able to get into a jhana

easily enough later on in life if they

have kept the practice up or at least

led a moral life and kept precepts it's

like getting on a bike the next part is

now subject to more interpretation and I

will do my best to help with this the

Sutter says that whatever jhana realm

that you are reborn into having arrived

in the realm by your jhana practice you

will attain nirvana in that

realm never to return to any lower realm

or for that matter any realm at all but

it starts off with saying that someone

other than the Buddha's disciples will

go to the lower realms immediately after

having enjoyed that high rebirth

continued on guitar anika 125 five book

of Falls loving-kindness a

run-of-the-mill worldling person having

stayed there having used up all the

lifespan of those Davis goes to hell to

the animal womb to the state of the

hungry shades ghosts but a disciple of

the Blessed one below it says noble

disciple so this means following the

Buddha's training in the aware Jonah's

not concentration Jonah's having stayed

there having used up all the lifespan of

those Davers is unbound attains final

Nirvana right in that state of being

this monks is the difference this the

distinction this the distinguishing

factor between an educated disciple of a

noble ones though is having practiced

the jhana path that the Buddha found and

an uneducated run-of-the-mill person a

disciple of another system of meditation

like absorption concentration the Buddha

tried them all before finding the aware

jhana path when there is future destino

Tien and rebirth the Sutter implies that

if you attain jhana and you have learned

through meditation practice from the

Buddha then you'll be reborn into the

jhana realm and attained final nirvana

in that realm and get off the wheel

right there with no further births

however there is this quite ominous

warning and believe me most people will

not like this at all about your

subsequent rebirth after having been

reborn into a journey realm if you did

not learn your meditation from the

Buddha

if you attained jhana using

concentration methods taught by other

teachers the Buddha he rejected

concentration methods

early on in his search you will indeed

be reborn to this Brahma Locker and live

out your life there but shockingly you

will not gracefully fall down from the

brahmaloka to a devar a heavenly realm

and then gently a reborn into a human

birth as your good camera and merit is

used up but rather fall directly into

the lower planes of existence like thee

animal Rahel realms

this does not agree with the Ab head

hammer which most monks would consult

for this type of inquiry in fact there

is disagreement about whether the app

had hammer was spoken by the Buddha at

all it is generally theorized by many

scholars that it was added to the basket

of texts at the third Council of monks

and two hundred years after the Buddha

died so how could he have said this so

if we go by the suttas only then we need

to change our views after explaining

this sutter to one of our more advanced

students in the USA he said he did

recall one of his past lives in a

brahmaloka heaven Rome and he remembered

actually dying from the realm he was

shocked to find he had fallen all the

way down to become an animal in his next

rebirth from a God to a dog a Sri Lankan

student a Dhamma sukha for a retreat

agreed with this idea and quoted a

Sutter reference I don't recall now

where the Buddha is asked about a stream

of ants walking on the ground he said

that these beings had fallen from a

brahmaloka and had not gotten off the

wheel and attained nirvana the Buddha

pointed this out as an admonishment to

Sarah Porter who had just gotten someone

on the death bed into a wholesome enough

steak for rebirth after death into a

heavenly daiva realm the admonishment

was for only getting them into a

heavenly realm and not giving them

enough wisdom for them to attain the

knowledge of nirvana right there and get

off the wheel out of this or only one

more lifetime if you attain a few

absorption concentration jhanas then

eventually that karma runs out and it

really runs out you might become an ant

after you'll say in a heavenly palace

I'll note here that I believe the above

example may be a student that only

attained the brahmaloka through an act

of good merit not attaining any jhanas

but only was listening to Sarah pod went

through their giving ear the mind became

elevated enough to get into a brahmaloka

through the hearing of a Sutter because

it was not through jhana practice there

would be no protection from falling from

that realm there are stories of people

acquiring enough merit at the time of

the Buddha to be reborn even as high as

the Brahma liquors but due to not having

any jhana practice to protect them

either concentration a tranquil aware

jhana they fell directly to the lower

realms as that was the only good merit

keeping them in the higher realm I don't

know all this is speculation but let's

go to thee SATA PG 347 imperturbable 116

beforehand guitar nicaya BB 2012 monks

there are three types of persons found

in this world one here monks with the

attainment of the base of infinite space

this person relishes it and find

satisfaction in it if he is firm in dot

and has not lost it when he dies he is

reborn in companionship with the diverse

of the infinite space the lifespan is

twenty thousand eons this worldling

remains there all his life and when he

has completed the entire lifespan of

those Davers he goes down to hell to the

animal realm are to the sphere of

afflicted spirits but the Blessed ones

disciples they're all his life and when

he has completed his entire lifespan of

those Davers he attains Nirvana in the

very same state of existence this is the

difference between the instructed noble

ones disciple and the worldling the

Sutter goes on to repeat for the base of

infinite consciousness and nothingness

so this is saying that if you are able

to enter into a jhana

in this specific case an Aruba jhana or

a death and you have not arrived at this

realm through wrong concentration

because of a large amount of worldly

merit then you are liable to fall

sharply for that realm directly into a

lower realm without gradually falling

first into a day virome and then again

further up down to a human realm this

doesn't say a noble disciple

it says the Blessed ones disciple just a

disciple is all this means they are

someone following the jhana a practiced

path laid out by the Buddha they don't

have any attainments as if they did they

would be referred to as a noble disciple

in summary I leave you with some quotes

from the suttas to suggest it is up to

the reader to decide that if you keep up

your meditation practice and are able to

get into a jhana near and around the

time of your death then you will not

only be reborn into with a corresponding

brahmaloka but attain nirvana that

without ever returning to a lower

rebirth pretty good again this is

commonly thought as only the domain of

the stream enter or a higher noble

disciple it was thought that you had to

have the third stage Nirvana experienced

and never returned to this world a lower

in fact all you need to do is just

attain jhana this is a wonderful

discovery and if true we are very lucky

even for those whose practices only a

little bit advanced with just the first

jhana are attained that said the Buddha

always admonished followers not ever to

stop and to continue the practice until

final awakening was achieved here and

now he had high expectations and

demanded the highest achievement either

you were an arahant or you were still a

rookie John our Nogami ajahn our naga

meter reading through the anchor

tyrannic higher is quite interesting as

there are some nuggets in these texts

that don't appear elsewhere in the other

nakaya's what I found specifically is a

different understanding or definition of

the sotapanna and sakagami noble

disciples first and second level

attainments it is thought that only in a

Nogami attainment third stage of

awakening will give you enough merit for

your rebirth in your

next lifetime to be reborn in a

brahmaloka and in the case of the a

Nogami a very special brahmaloka called

the pure abodes we're only a Nogami is a

reborn because they have eliminated the

first five fetters of craving for that

they attain our hand ship in that realm

and never take birth again it is an

incredible accomplishment for this to be

your last lifetime in the lower realms

even the human and Daver realms and this

is what the a Nogami achieves however i

found some good news for the first to

lower noble levels in the anchor tar

Anika for the first two noble disciples

if you attain so tarpana a saccade egami

and you did this through the Jharna

meditation practice then you'll be

reborn into the Brahma Lacaze never to

return

like the a Nogami the first and second

paths can be attained through hearing a

satyr however when you attain them with

jhana practice your advantage is that

you are reborn into the highest realm

available to a meditator you will not

return to any lower realm you will

attain nirvana in the realm and get off

thee will right there no more lifetime's

like seven lives for a so tarpana

and one for a saccade egami which is the

case described in some many commentaries

those noble disciples that have the

attainment of cert are para a saccade

egami that was attained through the

jhana a practice are given a unique

title of john our Nogami edge on our

naga meter public uu bodies notes from a

commentary he does note in his

translation of the anger tyranny car

notes number 539 and number two thousand

193 which i reproduce later let's go to

the suttas here is a partial Sutter

quote regarding the never return of

status of cert our parlor as sakagami PG

1541 the deed born body 219 9 tan this

noble disciple understands when the

liberation of mind by loving-kindness

has been developed in this way who has

attain the Jonah's through the brahma

vihara it leads to non returning for

wise baku here who does not penetrate to

a further liberation a similar satyr is

found on PG 327 autumn 94 3 Dan Vickers

just as in the autumn when the sky is

clear and cloudless the Sun ascending in

the sky dispels all darkness from space

as it shines and beams and radiates satu

when the dust free stainless Armour

arises in the noble disciple together

with the era seeing of vision the noble

disciple abandons 3 fattest person

existence view doubt and wrong grasp of

behaviour and observance s afterward

when he departs from two states longing

and ill-will then secluded from sensual

pleasures secluded from unwholesome

states he enters and trolls in the first

jhana

which consists of rapture and pleasure

born of seclusion accompanied by thought

and examination if biggest the noble

disciple should pass away on that

occasion there is no feta bound by which

he might return to this world the above

person clearly becomes free of three

fetters and has become a so tarpana

bhiku body explains in a node number 539

page 16 63 relating to the above passage

equals this type of individual at John

our Nogami or as in the duplicate note

number 2193 hey John our Naga meter here

is the note number 2193

page 1859 by bhikkhu bodhi this phrase

normally denotes the attainment of non

returning MP commentaries however

identifies this disciple as a John a non

returner John our naga meter that is a

stream into a once returner who also

attains jhana though such a practitioner

has not yet eliminated the two fetters

of sensual desire and will will by

attaining jhana he or she is bound to be

reborn in the form realm and attained

Nirvana that without taking another

rebirth in the sense fear

I will note here myself that I don't

know what the differences are between

the two types of John our Niagara miss

it is not explained by bhikkhu bodhi so

now we have a new type of noble one one

that has attained Soutar parlor and

sakagami attained by following the jana

meditation system not attained through

listening to a phrase or other method he

has earned the achievement of not having

to be born again in the lower devvra

human realms and will be reborn in a

brahmana cur and attained final nirvana

there it says the forum realm and I

would theorize that this is the pure

abodes as this is the highest form realm

otherwise logically if you do attain to

the arupa jhana which you would do

practicing by using the jhana path then

you would be reborn in the hierarchy

elemental Brahman occurs where there is

only mind ie the base of nothingness etc

this would not be a berth in a form

realm but rather a formless realm this

seems fairly logical as it would make no

sense for someone who attained so TARP

honored to be reborn again as a human

being with the same people they grew up

with the same high school dance party

that they went to the same people who

never knew all followed precepts no I

don't think that makes sense as Soutar

pond is a very high being called as sat

in many places and it would be very

doubtful that he/she would be reborn

into the company of worldlings

even reborn as a regular monk among

monks who themselves are still

worldlings

many monks these days our study monks or

serve laypeople performing rites and

rituals and have not meditated I will

leave all these ideas in the last

chapter to contemplate but I found it

rather interesting and hopeful it may be

quite confusing but I seem to have

become a true Buddhist speak as I'm

interested in the finer perhaps

really-really finer points of

attainments this research of course is

solely based on what the suttas say at

which I would hope to be

true and correct the interpretation of

course is just my own chapter 20 after

the retreat people asked after a retreat

or what they think is a major attainment

now what do I do

how do I practice each day first one of

the misunderstandings is that you will

be able to dial up the last jhana you

attained or for that matter any jhana

at will no you won't be able to do that

your practice will take a dip and the

mind will sink back into a coarser state

daily life brings stresses both physical

and emotional

these will tired you out and will affect

your meditation all of the news social

media and relationships you have will

make your mind more restless and

agitated so your meditation will be

restless one day and groggy the next

sometimes you will just be frazzled it

doesn't matter you just continue your

practice each day as long as you can

bhante vim alarum she suggests if you

want true progress each day you will sit

and walk two hours or more most people

will not have the time to spend but

consider 30 minutes or an hour each day

so do that get up a little earlier to

sit progress will continue albeit slower

every day the more pure mind states you

bring up the more mental merit and

purity you obtain it is suggested that

you get up in the morning and go through

your morning things like a bath and

having breakfast and then sit sitting

right away when you get up may lead to

sleepiness if you were working with a

spiritual friend as your object of

meditation then continue that process

when your feeling of Metta arises up

into your head and ceases being in your

hearted chest area then go to the

breaking down the barriers section in

this book and practice but for a day or

two

when your mind is okay with the four

groups of beings and you don't have any

grouse he'll will then continue on to

radiating in the six directions practice

and start with radiating loving-kindness

for the instructions in that section

Sealy fourth jhana chapter in this book

for all of the above instructions if you

have advanced and were practicing that

the formless jhana levels have either

meta Karuna mudita

or a Pecha then on a retreat you would

just return and work with the jhana

feeling you were working with however in

daily life you would be advised to start

each meditation session with meta our

loving-kindness this is the gateway to

all of the other jonna's many students

will get into equanimity on a retreat

and experience all of the higher jhanas

and perhaps get an attainment

they think that they simply can return

to radiating equanimity during daily

life this might not be possible if you

start radiating equanimity you may

actually just be radiating a kind of

calm which is really not equanimity at

all and your practice won't get anywhere

this might leave you frustrated and

wondering why nothing is happening off

retreat your mind is agitated and

restless and no longer in a high state

so it is best to restart with Metta this

loving kindness that is radiated out

which softens the mind and brings

tranquility and energy joy to your

sitting in a very short time your mind

will return to the last level you

attained remember the brahma vihara

practices something that happens

automatically no need to figure this out

just start with Metta and you'll go up

the chain of viharas if you are doing

directions you can do five minutes to

each direction as you did previously if

you have had an attainment you are

suggested to radiate only two minutes in

each direction and then all around then

the rest of the day use your six rupees

to release and relax into a disturbing

mental states that might be triggered

try radiating loving-kindness while you

are driving a shopping do

wholesome States the longer you stay any

wholesome the deeper your practice will

go eventually keep your precepts this is

very important for your practice to go

further avoid intoxicants especially as

that might be the tougher precept to

keep than the others peer pressure can

come into play here but just wave it off

this will have significant payoffs for

you in the future

develop your Dayna a generosity give

more to your local Sangha give more in

general this softens the mind further

and makes merit that will affect your

practice positively and of course

continue to sit meditate Ananda do not

delay or else you will regret it later

this is our instruction to you that is

what be blessed one said the venerable

Ananda was satisfied and delighted in

the Blessed ones words and notes the

path to Nirvana

biography David Johnson has been in

residence at Dhamma sukha meditation

center since 2010 he is a longtime

senior student of fontava malarum XI and

has participated in many retreats

currently he is a capilla personal

attendant the Ven fontava malarum XI

when resides at the center David also

today temporary ordination in 2012 under

Bond TV malarum XI he took on the robes

for a short period history David was a

student of many of the persona retreats

using the Mohave method starting from

the age of 19 he spent nearly 20 years

taking yearly retreats he also has

completed over 12 retreats with bantay

villa room she and has been his student

since 2006 David has taken an

accumulated video footage of in

personally met a Tamar and mahadji Tsai

at all

he previously meditated under Joseph

Goldstein jack Kornfield a new salon and

ER he has brought the footage of these

great teachers to the internet for all

to enjoy

David is from Bellevue near Seattle

Washington from 1973 to 1978 he was the

Meditation Center a treat manager for

the still point Institute a San Jose

California based Vipassana Center he

assisted in the growth of the center and

managed its financial and administrative

affairs from the 1980s to 2010 he worked

in the San Francisco Bay Area at several

networking companies as a production and

logistics

manager he then decided to join bhante

in his mission to bring Twi em to the

world in 2010 and moved to Missouri on a

permanent basis in 2015 he wrote using

Vontae Vinnie larom she's introductory

talks and meditator experiences the

recent instruction book a guide to

tranquil wisdom meditation his current

duties at Dhamma sukha include serving

as Secretary Treasurer and board member

guiding monthly online retreats since

2015 and now on-site retreats managing

the retreat center maintaining the

website and social media accounts

producing books publishing all bonta's

recent books producing videos producing

all footage of bhante found on the

website and on YouTube you can directly

get in touch with david at david at

Dhamma sukha dot org and reach him

through the Dhamma sukha website

resources Dhamma sukha Meditation Center

website link match jiminy car translated

by bhikkhu bodhi Somerville MA wisdom

publications 1995 Kraft Doug Buddha's

map his original teachings on awakening

is and insight in the heart of

meditation Grass Valley CA Blue Dolphin

publishing 2013 vim alarum she ponte the

anapanasati sutter a practical guide to

mindfulness of breathing and tranquil

wisdom meditation Carmel and why

Buddhist Association of the USA 2006 vim

alarum she Ponte meditation is life life

is meditation

Annapolis MO Dhamma sukha 2014 vim

alarum she want a breath of love jakarta

indonesia

fe pass eco foundation 2012 vim alarum

she ponte moving Dharma vol 1 Annapolis

mo Dhamma sukha 2012 vim alarum she

Ponte a guide tranquil wisdom meditation

Twi M Annapolis mo Dhamma sukha 2016

orders available from most online

bookstores

local bookstores can order it for you

Book Depository will ship books anywhere

in the world for free

www.dghongming.weebly.com

- forgiveness meditation an effective

method to dissolve blocks -

loving-kindness and living in the

present

bhante Vimy larum she introduction the

Buddha was a meditation teacher he

taught meditation for forty five years

after he became fully awakened when you

study and practice meditation you will

not be entirely successful until you

master the definitions and interwove in

nature of two words meditation and

mindfulness I can give you the

definitions but then you must experience

for yourself how these two work together

in the Buddhist teachings meditation

means observing the movement of minds

attention moment to moment in order to

see clearly how the Linx dependent

origination actually work mindfulness

means remembering to observe how a

mind's attention moves from one thing to

another this use of mindfulness actually

causes mind to become sharper as you go

as you experience more subtle states of

mind it isn't hard to see why you must

develop this precise mindfulness to keep

the meditation going smoothly many

people practice loving-kindness

meditation but according to a few people

the power of it doesn't seem to change

much for them in the daily lives if it

doesn't take off quite right in the

beginning we might run into a difficulty

with this practice and it can be like

hitting a wall it's good to know that

there is the key to the solution for

developing better in our daily

activities that solution is learning to

smile as much as you can remember

apparently in some cases if we do get

into trouble we can clear the runway for

our mindfulness of loving-kindness to

take off by first learning to use

mindfulness of forgiveness meditation

this is an extremely powerful in

cleansing practice forgiveness is a form

of loving-kindness that really clears

our mind of negative or unwholesome

states the reason this book came into

being is because of the many questions

teachers are asked about why doesn't my

matter arise easily it is because we

need to forgive ourselves first before

we can send our pure love to others

chapter one preparation at times there

can be confusion about how to

effectively practice this mindfulness of

forgiveness meditation so this booklet

is dedicated only to this meditation on

forgiveness so you can begin the

practice with a clear goal and better

understanding when people are practicing

loving-kindness meditation you might run

into a barrier as you try to send out

loving-kindness to yourself and to

others if this happens after a few days

and you are not successful in feeling

the Metta any retreat it may be

suggested for you to take a step back

and start doing the forgiveness

meditation to overcome these blocks

after all we cannot sincerely send

loving kindness and forgiveness to

someone else when we do not have it for

ourselves this practice is not just used

for a person pursuing loving kindness

and compassion meditation any person can

make the commitment to clean house by

doing this forgiveness work after this

is done for the first time one feels

many years younger because oftentimes

the great weight has been lifted off

your heart and mind some people have the

idea that this meditation is a

completely different kind of meditation

from the loving-kindness meditation that

is not so it should be made clear from

the beginning that the forgiveness

meditation is not outside of the

development of loving-kindness and is a

part of Metta for anyone who has

difficulty in feeling loving-kindness

this can be the first step it creates a

firm bridge between heart and mind that

is then used to help all other kinds of

meditations succeed it is a cleansing

for the heart another opening of the

heart we can add to our initial practice

of generosity in truth this meditation

is probably the most powerful meditation

that I know it can clear away mental

blocks that pop up from old attachments

that dislikes towards various people or

events that happen to you in your past

life experiences if you follow

directions closely and you are patient

when you practice then pain and

suffering will gradually dissolve any

hard-heartedness you still carry in your

mind about past life wounds when you

practice forgiveness meditation all of

the basic rules will remain the same you

still sit in a reasonably quiet space to

do this work be sure you are wearing

loose comfortable clothing sit in a

comfortable position on the floor or in

a chair if you do use a chair don't lean

into the back of the chair

sit with your spine nicely straight but

not tightly erect sit in a position that

does not bring up physical pain in

general for you you should follow the

basics of practicing right effort using

tranquil wisdom inside meditation tea

wim and the six rupees for your

meditation cycle to accomplish your goal

when you practice sit for a minimum of

thirty minutes each time sit longer if

things are going smoothly and you of the

time at whatever time you decide to

break your sitting stand up slowly keep

your observation going as you stand up

stretch slowly if desired while you are

sitting do not move at all don't wiggle

your toes don't scratch if your body

needs to cough or sneeze do not hold

this in just sneeze a cough keep some

tissues close by for any tears that

might arise if tears de fall then let

them come that is what you have holes in

your wallets for so let the tears come

out this releases pressure consider this

the cleansing time before you take up

any other primary meditations while

practicing forgiveness meditation please

use only these meditation instructions

and put all other meditation

instructions aside until you have

completed the work this just means that

we don't want to confuse mind so don't

mix up the recipe we want only the

information needed to do this practice

chapter 2 instructions the way you start

practicing forgiveness meditation is by

forgiving yourself there are different

kinds of statements that you can use for

this to help bring up any old grudges

and hard-heartedness

locked inside you you may pick one

statement to begin and then you stay

with that statement for a period of time

to give it a chance to settle in and you

and see what comes up

the first suggested phrase is I forgive

myself for not understanding everybody

has misunderstandings that happen in the

life nobody is exempt from this fact

while you are sitting you repeat the

phrase I forgive myself for not

understanding after you've done that you

put that feeling into your heart and

stay with that feeling of forgiveness

when that feeling fades away or the mind

gets distracted then you come back and

forgive yourself for not understanding

again if you are familiar with the

6-hour process you should 6 are any

distractions arise the appendix has a

large section on how you practice the 6

rupees for those familiar with the

Jonah's and have meditated before it is

necessarily to not go higher than the

first jhana you can't mentally verbalize

beyond that say your phrases for

forgiveness please make a determination

to not go any deeper this is an active

contemplative process that we are doing

now while you're doing this your mind is

going to have some resistance to this

meditation your mind is going to take

off and say well this is stupid I

shouldn't be doing this reactions like

these are part of your attachments these

are the obstacles that we must dissolve

stay with your statement and repeat I

forgive myself for not understanding

then your mind might say our I don't

need to do this anymore this meditation

doesn't work every thought that pulls

you away from forgiving yourself for not

understanding is an attachment and has

to be let go and the tension and

tightness in the detachment must be

relaxed away this is where you use the

six R's you learned with your basic

Metta meditation practice

the six ARS are recognized release

greater than relax re smile return

repeat that is the entire cycle you

recognize that mind is distracted you

release the distraction by not keeping

your attention on it you relax the

tightness in your head and heart and you

re smile and then you softly come back

to the statement and you stay with a

statement for as long as you can if you

are distracted again you repeat the

process it doesn't matter how many times

your mind gets distracted one thing that

many people get caught with is getting

wrapped up in the story about things and

this can cause lots of pain and

suffering along with some frustration

the six R's will help you to see how

strong the attachments are and it shows

the way to overcome the suffering they

cause recognize it let it be

relaxed smile come back and stay with a

feeling of forgiveness for as long as

you can

sitting should be followed by walking

practice if you are going to continue

sitting again or you are going to return

to a task in daily life before you do

take a stroll at a normal pace to keep

your blood flowing nicely walk for about

15 minutes minimum in some fresh air 45

minutes is a good maximum time for

walking if you are working in a

restricted space setting find a space

that is level and at least 30 feet long

in length walk back and forth and

mentally keep your meditation going

faster ask when you walk you want to

walk in a way that you repeat the

phrases with each stride as you walk

like this with the left foot take a step

and mentally say I then a right step

forgive and left you then again but say

you on the right step and then left step

forgive right step me and repeat back

and forth you can experiment and see

what works it can get into a nice

cadence but all the while it is really

getting it into your noggin to forgive I

forgive you you forgive me and keep

smiling when you are doing this and six

are anything or anyone who comes up stay

with E

walking I used to go for six to eight

mile walks in Hawaii doing just this

practice the idea of sitting and walking

is to create a continuous flow of

meditation without stopping this proves

you can keep the meditation with you all

the time in life while walking at this

normal pace continue doing the

forgiveness meditation with your eyes

looking down towards the ground about

six or seven feet in front of you do not

look around

keep on gently forgiving keep smiling

all the time

chapter three attachments one mistake

that an awful lot of people make is they

say well meditation is just for sitting

the rest of the time I don't have

anything else to do so I can let my mind

act like it always does this is a

mistake we need to consider the idea

that meditation is life and life is

meditation you want to realize that you

have attachments in your daily life and

just because you are not sitting doesn't

mean those attachments aren't there the

whole point in doing the meditation is

for personality development it's for

letting go of old habitual suffering

bhava and in place of this developing a

mind that has equanimity in it the more

resistance your mind has in doing this

the more you need to do it because the

resistance is your mind showing you

where your attachment is and that is the

cause of suffering this meditation works

better than anything that I know of for

letting go of attachments letting go and

relaxing of elde hard-hearted feelings

bhava letting go of the way you think

the world is supposed to be so you can

start accepting the way the world

actually is

your mind might say well I don't like

that I don't like the way they said this

or that ask yourself now who doesn't

like it who is judging and condemning

who is making up a story who is caught

by their attachment well I am it might

be helpful here to give a definition of

attachment an attachment is anything we

take personally any thought any feeling

any sensation when we think these

thoughts of feelings are mine this is me

this is who I am at that point mine has

become attached and this causes craving

to arise in your mind and body craving

always manifests as a tension of

tightness in both mind and body craving

is the I like it I don't like it

mind which arises in everyone's mind

body process attachment is another word

for craving and is the start of all

suffering when we see that everything

that arises is part of an impersonal

process then we begin to understand what

it is like to see things with a clear

observant mind somebody might say

something very innocently and you hear

it through your attachment and it's

negative this is why we have to learn

how to become aware of what is happening

all the time in our daily lives when you

get finished sitting in your meditation

for 30 minutes 45 minutes or for an hour

and you start walking around what does

your mind do it takes off just like it

always does it thinks about this it

thinks about that this is just nonsense

thoughts most of us think those thoughts

and those feelings that arise are as

personally that they're not just random

things but in truth if you feed any kind

of a thought of feeling with your

attention you make it bigger and more

intense when you realize that you are

causing your own suffering you have to

forgive yourself for doing that this

means saying I forgive myself for not

understanding I forgive myself

completely of course your mind is going

take off again and say ah this is stupid

this is nothing this isn't real this

isn't what is actually happening I don't

want to do this every one of those

thoughts is an attachment isn't it every

one of those thoughts has craving in it

doesn't it every one of those thoughts

is causing you suffering right because

of this you have to recognize that you

were doing this to yourself and let go

of those thoughts that's just nonsense

stuff anyway it doesn't have anything to

do with what you are doing and where you

are right now

once you know this you forgive yourself

for not understanding the causing

yourself pain for causing other people

pain you really forgive take a look at

when you are walking from here to there

what are you doing with your mind ho-hum

thinking about this and I got to do that

and I have to go talk to that person and

I have to do this all of that nonsense

now this doesn't mean that you can't

plan what you need to do next

you can but just do that planning one

time as your primary topic in the

present moment after you make up your

mind what the plan is you don't have to

think about it anymore repeating it

rolling it around again all of that is

just part of your old habitual tendency

bhava in Pali it is your old conditioned

thoughts and feelings and taking them

personally and causing yourself pain and

suffering

chapter 4 daily practice including the

exercise of forgiveness in your daily

activity is by far the most important

part of this meditation you forgive

yourself continually for not

understanding forgetting caught up in to

say that for taking things personally

how many times have you found yourself

doing this hey I don't like the way you

said that

ask yourself who doesn't like what well

you said something that was hurtful to

whom you need to stop and realize that

you're taking all this stuff personally

and it's not really personal it's just

stuff that happens forgive it forgive it

even when you're walking along a road

and you happen to kick a rock and it

hurts forgive the pain for being there

your job is to keep your mind forgiving

all the time that's what mindfulness of

forgiveness meditation practice is all

about the technique is not just about

when you are sitting this is a life

practice this is an all the time

practice if you want to really begin to

change you have to be willing to go

through the forgiveness sincerely

because it will help you change a lot

you have to have patience and it helps

to have a sense of humor about just how

dumb mind can be the more you smile and

laugh the easy of the meditation becomes

chapter 5 finding balance whenever you

personally continue to think about this

and that to judge this and condemn that

you are constantly causing yourself

suffering you don't need to do that you

want to argue with other people about

your attachments what's the point when

you really start practicing forgiveness

for yourself or forgiveness for another

person your mind starts to get into

balance and your sense of humor begins

to change this is equanimity then you

don't take thoughts feelings and

sensations and all this other stuff

personally when you practice in this way

you are seeing life for what it isn't

allowing it to be there it's not worth

going over it in your mind and over it

and over it and over it it's not worth

it it's a waste of time it's a waste of

effort every time you have a repeated

thought you are attached you are

identifying with that thought and you're

taking it personally and that is again

the cause of suffering what you see here

is the second noble truth you are

witnessing how craving taking it

personally is the cause of suffering and

you can't blame anybody else for it it's

yours you are doing it all to yourself

well they said this so what others may

have their opinion that doesn't mean I

have to listen to them I don't have to

take it in personally and analyze

whether it's correct or not because it

doesn't matter the more you forgive in

your daily life and daily activities the

easier it is to forgive the big things

that happened in the past

Chapter six persistence when you are

doing the forgiveness meditation while

you're sitting you're staying with one

of the suggested statements you stay

with that one statement until you

internally feel yes I really do forgive

myself for not understanding it's

important to work this through to really

forgive can take a while it's not just

some quick fix to do in one sitting and

then you come in and say okay now I'm

done or you say I've already done that

doing that is not where you're going to

get real change nope you still have your

attachments there you still have to

continually forgive yourself for not

understanding forgive yourself for

making a mistake that is what not

understanding is about you have to

forgive yourself for judging for

condemning for analyzing for thinking

for getting angry forgive everything all

of the time when I started to do the

forgiveness meditation which I did

personally for myself for two years

because I wanted to make sure why I

really understood this meditation I went

through major changes there were major

changes major personality changes if you

want that for yourself you have to have

the kind of patience this idea of well

I've already forgiven this person or

that person that simply isn't it a

little later on you figure out that you

are talking about how you didn't like

this so that from them art guess what

who hasn't finished their forgiveness

meditation you haven't forgiven yourself

or that other person

Chapter seven going deeper when you

start to go deeper in your meditation

staying with the forgiveness and you do

forgive yourself for making mistakes

there can come a time when somebody

comes up into your mind that you need to

forgive when this happens you realize

that you did not ask them to come up you

do not stop and say well I need this

person to come up they came up by

themselves as soon as that person comes

up you start forgiving them for not

understanding it doesn't matter what

they did any past all of your thoughts

all of your opinions of what they did in

the past just keep bringing up more

suffering these thoughts come up because

of your attachment I didn't like that I

didn't want that to happen they are a

dirty no-good so-and-so because they did

that to me can you guess where the

attachment is guess where the idea comes

from that I can blame somebody else for

my own suffering the only person you can

blame for your suffering is yourself

why because you are the one that took it

personally you're the one who had an

opinion about it you're the one that

used your habitual tendencies over and

over again to justify the idea that I'm

right and you're wrong that's how we

caused our own suffering the forgiveness

meditation helps you let go of that

opinion that idea that attachment and

feel some relief because some past

person did or said something that caused

anger resentment jealousy pain or

whatever the catch of the day was it can

have a real tendency for your mind to

get caught up in thinking about that

past event this is called getting caught

by the story you need to use the six

hours and then go back to your

forgiveness statement it doesn't matter

how many times the story arises please

use the six hours and then forgive again

the story's emotion will fade away after

you do this enough this is where

patience is needed

chap teat letting go when you see

someone else come up in your mind

somebody you really had a rough time

with and you didn't like hit someone you

started hating for whatever reason you

forgive them with your mind's eye you

look them straight in their art and you

tell them sincerely I forgive you for

not understanding the situation I

forgive you for causing me pain I

forgive you completely now keep the

person in your heart and radiates

forgiveness to them if your mind has a

distraction and it pulls you away for

that you might hear in your mind no I

don't that no-good so-and-so

I won't forgive him using the six R's

let go of this and come back and say I

do forgive you

it has to be sincere well I'm not going

to forgive the dirty no-good so-and-so

why not because they caused their me

suffering oops

who caused his suffering you caused your

own self suffering because you took it

personally and you reinforced that with

a lot of thoughts and opinions and ideas

about why that was wrong in other words

you were caught in your craving your own

clinging your habitual tendencies and

that leads to more and more

dissatisfaction aversion pain and

suffering

chapter nine relief it's really

important to realize that this is not an

easy practice it's hard to forgive

someone when they have really caused you

harm take a woman that has been raped or

a man who has been beaten and robbed

it's hard to forgive thee person who

raped the mo beat them because they have

been violated but holding on to the

hatred of that person is keeping them

attached it doesn't matter what the

action was it doesn't matter what

happened in the past what matters is

what you are doing with what you have in

your mind right now to completely

develop this practice to the highest

level means that you keep forgiving and

forgiving over and over with your mind's

eye you look them straight in the eye

and you say I really do forgive you and

your mind says no I don't and you let

that go and six up and come back you say

I really do forgive you then you take

that person in put them into your heart

and continue to radiate forgiveness to

them how long do you do that as long as

it takes for some attachment one or two

sittings is all you'll need some other

attachments might take a week might take

two weeks or even longer who knows it

doesn't matter if you need time you can

take time you have all the time there is

you will feel a very very strong sense

of relief when you let go of the hatred

you have towards these people then

anytime you think of them you kind of

think of them with her mind that says

well they made a mistake they didn't

know what they were doing it's okay

that's how you let go of an attachment

craving that's how you let go of the

pain of that past situation this doesn't

mean that the person who was violated is

going to go up and hug the person who

did that to them they would avoid them

because they know there is a possibility

of personal harm but they don't hate

them anymore they don't think about it

anymore they have let it go that's what

the forgiveness is all about it's about

letting go you are giving up hell

dissatisfaction and dislike you are

developing a mind that says well that's

okay you can be like that that is not

taking it personally chapter 10

obstacles the biggest part of the

mindfulness of forgiveness meditation is

learning how to let go of your personal

opinions ideas concepts stories you

might stay with a person for a long

period of time because of your opinions

and your attachment to this every time

you're doing any walking a sitting

meditation keep forgiving them over and

over again your mind might get bored

with that and say oh I don't want to do

this anymore

well that's another kind of attachment

isn't it so what do you do with that you

have to get through it by forgiving the

boredom for being there that's okay your

mind is tricky it's going to try to

distract you any way it can it'll bring

up any kind of feelings and thoughts and

ideas to distract you because it doesn't

like the idea of giving up attachments

your mind really feels comfortable

holding on to attachments we need to go

easy on ourselves as we develop this

practice after all how many years did it

take us to build our power habits bhava

it takes patience to move in the

opposite direction now and to change

those unwholesome mind States into new

wholesome tendencies be kind to yourself

and take your time the whole point of

the meditation is learning how to change

learning how to let go of those old

nonsense ideas and thoughts and develop

new ideas and thoughts that make you

happy and make other people around you

happy too that's the whole reason for

the precepts they outline an option for

us to follow

so we gain balance in our life let's

take a quick look at the precepts to not

kill any living beings on purpose don't

take what is not freely given to you no

stealing don't engage in wrong sexual

activity with another person's mate or a

person too young living with the parents

in short don't do anything that will

cause mental a physical harm to any

other human being

don't engage in telling lies using harsh

language gossip or slander lasting don't

take recreational drugs or alcohol

because these will weaken mind and the

tendency to break the other precepts is

stronger these precepts are like an

ultimate operational manual for life if

you keep them well then you get the most

out of your life they make you and

others around you happy the more you can

continually follow them the better your

frame of mind will become you will more

easily forgive that other person your

mind will become softer towards that

person and you will feel more relief

what happens is after you practice this

way for a while then you go hard I do I

really do forgive you and there's no

energy behind it at all it's just like

yeah this happened it's in the past it's

no big deal this is what forgiveness is

all about

chapter 11 daily life how can this

practice affect your daily life this is

a good question

you're more open you're more accepting

you're not judging you are not

condemning you are not disliking because

as you see the tightness of mind coming

up in you and you go oops I forgive you

for not understanding this one and you

smile you let it go one of the hardest

things a guiding teacher has to do is to

teach people that life is supposed to be

fun it's a game keep it light if you

play with your mind and your attachments

that means you are not being attached to

them so much as you play with em you're

not taking them so seriously anymore

when you don't take them seriously

they're easier to let go of that's what

the buddha was teaching us he was

teaching us how to have an uplifted mind

all of the time how to be able to be

light with your thoughts with your

feelings and your wide ears in your past

actions yes it's true on some occasion

you made a mistake

well okay welcome to the human race I

don't know of anyone who hasn't made a

mistake and felt guilty about it sure

they do and what is that guilt non

forgiveness that's an example of your

mind grabbing on to what's happening and

saying I really screwed up and I need to

punish myself for that that's what your

mind is saying now don't you see what

you can do about this right the more you

become serious with your daily life the

more attachments you will have the less

equanimity the less mental balance you

will have in your life there is no

question about it you're on these

rollercoasters emotional roller coasters

up and down up and down up and down when

you start forgiving more those high

highs and low lows start to turn into

little waves you still have some but you

don't get caught for as long you just

stop and say it this just isn't

important enough to get upset

about chapter 12 success after you

forgive that person you stay with em you

stay with that person that's come up

into your mind until you feel like

enough I don't have to do this anymore

I really have forgiven you at that point

with your mind's eye you look them

straight in the eye and you stop

verbalizing and you hear them say back

to you I forgive you too Wow now this is

different isn't it it's kind of

remarkable you have this feeling of

being forgiven as well as you forgiving

them you've forgiven yourself for making

mistakes for not understanding you've

forgiven that other person for making

mistakes for not understanding or

causing pain whatever you want using the

statement that really makes it true for

you and now you hear them say I forgive

you there is a real sense of relief Wow

what happens in your mind now is the joy

comes up in your mind you feel light you

feel really happy happier than you ever

felt before you didn't realize you were

carrying these big bundles of rocks on

your shoulders holding you down did you

and now you have put them down when you

forgive the heaviness of those hard

feelings and rocks disappear you feel

light

oh my this really is great stuff it

takes a lot of work but it's worth it

it's not easy why isn't it easy because

of the amount of attachment we have when

we begin you keep doing the meditation

and when you get done with one person

you go back to yourself you repeat I

forgive myself for making mistakes I

forgive myself for not understanding you

stay with yourself until somebody else

comes up into your mind you keep on

doing that until your mind says okay

I've done it everything is good there's

nobody else enough at this time you can

switch back to your mindfulness of

loving-kindness meditation and make at

your primary formal

practice now you can understand why

mindfulness of forgiveness meditation is

definitely part of loving-kindness how

can you ever practice loving-kindness if

you have hatred you can't

this practice releases the hatred

chapter 13 not easy this practice has no

simple easy fast fix here you can't just

buy the solution this time at the mall

either you have to patiently continue

this practice all the time until you

release the unwholesome mind States

which Lee or old habitual tendencies of

mind depending on how attached humor to

the idea that a person wronged you or

the idea of how badly you screwed up

this leads you into I can never forgive

myself until you finally go through this

process of forgiveness you will not be

free of this burden you will know when

you have gone entirely through the

mindfulness of forgiveness meditation

because then you'll be free and you will

see clearly this is how forgiveness

really works are you done you don't have

to have anybody to tell you that this

worked you'll know the daily continuous

work of this practice is most important

when you are walking from one place to

another I don't care what you are doing

any kind of distraction that comes up

forgive it smile if a person comes up to

you and they start talking and you don't

want to talk forgive them they don't

understand they don't understand what

you are doing it's okay but they don't

understand

it's okay that they don't know where you

are or what you are doing they can judge

you they can condemn you they can cause

all kinds of distractions and that's

fine they can do that but as for you you

can forgive them for it as you forgive

them you were letting go of the

attachment to the way I think things are

supposed to be not understanding can be

a really big thing because we don't

understand so much we have our own

opinions and ideas of the way things are

supposed to work that can be a problem

we get caught up by assumption that's it

isn't it

what happens when things don't match

your idea of the way things are supposed

to work what then you may find yourself

fighting with reality which is the truth

the Dharma of the present moment you're

not accepting the reality that's right

there in front of you you begin judging

and condemning and most often blaming

somebody else for disturbing you well

I'm sorry they're not disturbing your

practice they're part of the practice

there's no such thing as something else

or someone else disturbing my practice

it's only me fighting with what is real

at the reality the Dharma of the present

moment not liking this of that and next

I'm blaming somebody else are are

something else for the cause of that

chapter 14 forgive it what about sounds

disturbing us while we practice

sometimes in a retreat if you are

concentrating too hard you can observe

what can happen you could get so upset

if there is even one squeak of a door as

someone is walking by too heavily near

you are breathing too loudly you might

jump up thinking ho you disturbed my

practice do you begin to see how

ridiculous this actually is what is

happening here is that the present

moment produced a noise and there was

noise and then mine came up and said I

don't like this that's not supposed to

be that I want to complain to somebody

and make them stop so my mind can be

peaceful what is actually happening his

concentration is out of balance with

mindfulness concentration is too strong

and mindfulness is do weak ha ha ha ha

how crazy is that if you can't accept

what's happening in the present moment

with a balanced mind there will be

suffering ok so there's a noise there's

somebody talking so it doesn't matter

just as long as you have mindfulness and

equanimity in your mind when balance is

in your mind if there is a noise that's

just fine and you can do your

forgiveness meditation

while I was in Asia on a three-month

retreat there was a water well pump that

was drilling for water right outside of

the meditation hall three months of an

old clanky motor running from 8 o'clock

in the morning until 6 o'clock at night

this can happen you know one continuous

noise it was really loud and really

annoying but it was just sound that's

all it was I realized that it was not my

it sound my dislike of that sound wasn't

going to change that sound my

criticizing of the person that started

the motor wasn't going to make that

sound any different do you see where all

the attachments are in this example the

exercise here is accepting the fact that

sound is here at and it's ok for sound

to be here it has to be ok because

that's what's in the present moment

that's the truth Dharma accepting the

present moment is accepting the Dharma

just as it is whenever there is a

disturbance forgive the disturbance

continually in your mind

forgive smile forgive yourself for not

understanding that is how we work with

forgiveness in daily life I forgive

myself for wanting things to be more

perfect than they are I forgive myself

for making mistakes I forgive myself for

being angry and disliking this or that

now we see that the forgiveness is not

just one statement it can be many we

take each of these statements into the

practice and use them one by one

chapter 15 their mantras while you're

doing your sitting practice once again

you just want to take one statement of

forgiveness at a time stay with just one

remember that this is not a mantra you

don't surface say this and think about

something else either it has to be

sincere

I really do forgive myself for making

mistakes or for not understanding or

whatever it's important to be sincere

when you do this the more you can

continually forgive with your daily

activities with your sitting with your

walking meditation whatever you happen

to be doing you need to realize that

this is what meditation is really about

meditation is not about gaining some

superhuman state of mind it's not just

about bliss it is more productive than

that it's about learning how you cause

your own suffering and how to let go of

that suffering the deeper superhuman

states of meditation will come up by

themselves when we clear our minds and

simply allow this to happen you don't

have to personally do anything the more

you clear yourself the more you clear

your mind of judgments opinions concepts

ideas and the more you accept what's

happening in the present moment the more

joyful life becomes the easier life

becomes what that you are saying now

well I have this habit of always

analyzing and thinking okay let it go

but I have been doing this my whole life

so hey forgive yourself for not

understanding forgive yourself for

analyzing there can be a strong

attachment to wanting to analyze that's

the Western disease I want to know how

everything works you don't learn how

things work by thinking about them you

let go and relax to see how things work

when you forgive and you let go and

relax to develop space in your mind

observe how they work

the truth is that in meditation thinking

mind analyzing mind is incredibly slow

the aware mind is incredibly fast it's

extraordinary

you just can't get there with a lot of

words in the way you can't have opinions

in the way they will block you they will

stop you from seeing the way things

truly are chapter 16 blame game your

forgiveness meditation is more than just

about old attachments like well when I

was five years old

little Johnny he beat me up and I've

hated him ever since then see how this

is about you and uncovering this

attachment and how you hold on to it and

how you cause yourself pain because of

that attachment most especially these

days people are really big on blaming

everybody about themselves for the pain

and the question here should be is that

working with reality or not it's easy to

say you caused me pain I don't like you

but did someone else caused you pain or

did I just say something and you had

another kind of an opinion and judged

and condemned whatever I said and then

your aversion came up and the dislike of

the whole situation and now you're off

to the races

and you're a thousand miles away you are

causing yourself pain and you're running

into you're thinking but I'm only

thinking and analyzing hah hah hah hah

hah you're attached you think this

attachment won't hurt me so much if I

keep distracted I can keep my opinions

and my ideas about the way things are

supposed to be and then I don't have to

change but you're fooling yourself

change is the only way to free mind

meditation is about positive change

chapter 17 be happy in summary Buddhism

is about realizing that you need to have

a balanced a mindful mind that doesn't

have high emotions in it that doesn't

have attachments in it so that you can

see things clearly and discover real

happiness and contentment in daily life

Buddhism is about seeing the way things

truly are gaining knowledge by seeing

for yourself how you are the cause of

your own pain it's about taking personal

responsibility and doing the work needed

to find this kind of mindfulness balance

and understanding mindfulness of

forgiveness meditation trains us to

recognize clearly when suffering arises

first noble truth to notice how we get

personally involved with it and make it

bigger which causes more suffering in

life second noble truth and to escape

this dangerous trap by using the six R's

and seeing how it disappears third noble

truth this meditation opens the way for

clearer understanding and relief fourth

noble truth

the end result creates the space we need

in our mind so that we begin to respond

to life instead of reacting using the

six R's which fulfills the practice of

right effort found in the early texts

using it with any meditation you are

doing this is one of the fastest ways

for all people to see clearly what is

really going on and to reach this kind

of destination where there can be

happiness and peace in sutter number 21

of the match Dominica as translated by

bhikkhu bodhi within the middle length

sayings and published by wisdom

publications it gives us some excellent

advice that I would like to share with

you now it says there are these five

courses of speech that others may use

when they address you the speech may be

timely or untimely true or untrue gentle

the harsh connected with good are

connected with harm spoken with a mind

of loving-kindness or with inner hatred

this is how I should train my mind shall

be unaffected and I will after no evil

words I shall abide compassionate for

the welfare with a mind of

loving-kindness without inner hate I

shall abide pervading that person

whoever you talk with with a mind imbued

with loving kindness and forgiveness and

starting with him I shall abide

pervading the all-encompassing world

with a mind imbued with loving kindness

abundant exalted immeasurable without

hostility and without ill-will that is

how I should train please use this

forgiveness meditation often and train

your mind to be happy

you

this is a continuation from part

- this is part 3 chapter 15 to 20 of the

book titled the path to Nirvana her

mindfulness of loving-kindness

progresses through the tranquil aware

Jonah's to awakening by David C Johnson

edition 4-16

2018 published by BTS publishing

Annapolis

Missouri chapter 15 first stage of

awakening

so tarpana mmm 111 section 19 again

monks by completely surmounting the base

of neither perception nor non-perception

Sarah Porter entered upon and abided in

the cessation of perception and feeling

attaining Nibbana path knowledge mega

finally after staying with this quiet

energetic imperturbable mind of the base

of neither perception nor non-perception

and sixth ring every tiny movement until

mind is barely moving at all you'd let

go of the last condition the last link

of ignorance and all activity ceases

everything stops and an unconditioned

state arises there is the cessation of

perception feeling and consciousness for

a few moments of minutes you don't know

you're in that state until after you

come out some will say they experienced

at lack spot or a gap in consciousness

this is nothing like any of you previous

johner experiences it isn't a gap with a

sense of time because there is nothing

missing time doesn't exist when nothing

is happening there is just the stopping

of the stream of consciousness a halting

you only know it after you come out of

it the world stops you are no longer in

samsara and it will last as long as it's

going to last there's life still exist

vitality and your life continuum still

go on your autonomic functions like your

heart beating and blood pumping continue

but your mental process has stopped

completely

when I finished radiating equanimity to

each of the points something extremely

new happened a feeling I had felt in a

meditation a couple of days ago but it

was now much clearer and more defined in

a second it was as if a membrane around

me totally broke and release me one

second for there a huge space opened up

before me the feeling that there was so

much room there were no barriers at the

same moment my face begins to fade as if

something was literally erasing it had

left me without Skinner muscles there

was happiness but without excitement

tranquility and a very very refined

attention Barcelona Spain before there

just existed slight movements of mind

but now with this temporary cessation of

all mental activity there arises right

after that a powerful clarity of mind

you have just had the deepest rest of

your life when you come back you are now

seeing the subtlest movements deeper

than you have ever experienced mind

appears like it totally erased

blackboard nothing is on it then when

mine turns back on the first mental

process is clearly seen against this

inky black background coming out of

cessation mind is radiant and observant

you have arrived at full stop the effect

of the cessation is so powerful that

whereas before the pond of your mind had

tiny little ripples on it now it is so

still and placid that you can see

anything there you can see to any depth

what is below there is no craving at all

there is no dust to obscure vision mind

is so pure that you see the smallest

detail of anything that starts to arise

in crystal clarity what you are about to

see is the first arising of

consciousness the first moment of mental

activity as your mental processes begin

again from this still point the next

thing that happens is that you see the

links of

dependent origination arise and pass

away very quickly these are sometimes in

the form of vibrations or little lights

flashes or electrical currents you will

see this in your mind and sometimes even

see it in the air in front of you you

won't know what it is very likely and

will not expect it this is the first

condition mental process in which your

mind starts to vibrate again and come

back online when this happens the eye of

wisdom mind without craving sees the

total impersonality of the process there

is no self there your deep observation

understands that there is nobody home

that what you are is just a process of

moments arising and passing away as a

result of this profound insight the

super mundane unconditioned Nibbana

arises this experience will be followed

by a momentary sense of relief like a

burden was lifted off you have just

experienced Nibbana you have become a so

tarpana

in meditation things began to slow down

the vibrations slowed to a ripple

attended in bright light

I went deeper and things seemed slower

there seemed to be something breaking up

in the light I went even deeper until

the distractions abruptly stopped like

the plug had been pulled out mine

activity abruptly stopped what was left

was like a blackout the center seemed

darker than the edges for a moment it

felt like something was missing I didn't

feel joy more like a calm relief

çb sri lanka Nibbana will not come when

you want it it will come when you are

ready when the seven factors of

awakening all line in perfect balance

like passing through the keyhole of the

door you didn't think it could be

possible yet it happened you see that in

this seemingly permanent and eternal

psychophysical process when mind stops

there really is nothing between each

thought moment that persists that

knowledge leads you to understand that

an impersonal underlies everything there

is nothing that is continuous between

each moment nothing that survives not

even God not

everything is absolutely void of self a

soul amen 111 section 19 Conte and his

taints were destroyed by his seeing with

wisdom the word here is wisdom so what

is wisdom after the cessation of

perception feeling and consciousness and

it's going to last as long as it will

last when feeling perception and

consciousness start up again you have

the opportunity of seeing exactly

clearly with very sharp mindfulness

every one of the links of dependent

origination you will see how when this

doesn't arise that doesn't arise that

each link is dependent on the previous

link you will see that everything has a

cause for arising you have uncovered the

last link of ignorance you will also see

that if it arises it will come to an end

you will see impermanence clearly all

that arises will pass away whether it be

pleasure or pain this is wisdom it is

the knowledge that you gain by directly

seeing the links of dependent

origination arise and pass away and by

seeing that there is no injuring self

this wisdom is not some sort of

conceptual philosophy some religious

tenets or Dogma it is the result of

seeing directly when you see the word

wisdom in the suttas you should

understand that this always means seeing

the links of dependent origination

directly and seeing everything that

arises as impersonal it isn't learning a

philosophy it is directly observing

reality with the next mental process

that arises you will see the whole

arising and passing away of all of the

links of dependent origination for the

duration of one instant then there is

the final letting go of ignorance and

seeing the Four Noble Truths that is

when Nirvana occurs it is just a

momentary event and just one group of

Link's firing the links are seen with

wisdoms I this takes place at a deeper

level than normal awareness people will

say they don't know what they saw but

they will know the mind to a greater or

lesser degree will be having insights

arise in

to how there is a cause that creates a

result this constant arising and passing

away of conditioned existence is the

content of who we are and that's all

there is they will now understand at an

intuitive level how dependent

origination works each link is

conditioned by the previous link each

process is conditioned by the passing

away of another process like a candle

flame that lights another candle one

candle burns down but the next candle

lights up being ignited buddy

previous candle lit by bit you arise and

pass away you are changing little by

little over time like a great city that

arises from an empty piece of land each

building arises one at a time each

shovel of dirt carried off and dumped

one at a time with thee constant arising

and passing away of causes this great

city is built the next shovelful lived

her taken away changes it once again no

one person has built it just many

shovels and people shoveling it's a

process with no real beginning and no

real end we give cities names but these

are just concepts to label these groups

of buildings the perception aggregate of

the five aggregates is partially memory

and partly Bolling perception is what

puts a name on this group of buildings

it labels it either New York or San

Francisco depending on what for example

visual forms arise in our own case we

are given a name like John and then we

personally identify with that name as if

some underlying entity were controlling

everything but it isn't it is just a

concept the city itself is not one solid

thing it is the result of all these

causes that make it what it is but in

this instant only in the next moment it

has changed to something else in the

same way you are a completely impersonal

process there is no one a soul behind it

it is automatically happening and will

continue forever into the future until

you become fully awake and exit the

wheel of samsara this is so

profound it after these links pass away

Nibbana arises just for an instant in

the suttas it says thought and his

taints were destroyed with wisdom

meaning that nirvana arises right after

you see the links of dependent

origination and it destroys a certain

measured amount of craving it destroys

the first three what are called fetters

step-by-step attainment of Nirvana the

cessation of feeling perception and

consciousness occurs this means that

everything we consider a person stops

there is a blank state a blackout avoid

Ness all mental activity stops on an EEG

one would guess the indicator flatlines

for just a moment

following the cessation because of the

incredible clarity created by the

experience of cessation the first mental

activity a set of twelve links arises

and passes away they might be seen like

bubbles a little flashing lights wisdoms

I observe Sutter and total in

personality in this first mental process

as the links arise and pass away with no

craving to cloud mind the links are seen

as just an impersonal process with no

inherent self just a group of neurons

firing that is all you are after the

last link of ignorance passes away

Nibbana arises there is a feeling of

relief for a moment a unique feeling in

the mind that there has been a great

burden thrown off joy starts to arise

all pervading joy that can last for up

to several days it may continue longer

but sometimes you just get used to the

state and don't notice it anymore

note that the relief and the joy that

follows a different feelings you should

notice this difference there was

definitely joy but I think what followed

was the mind jumping for a brief moment

oh wow what just happened because it was

not like the nothingness between the

flickering of consciousness and yet

pervading joy persisted after the

blanking out and continued even after

the meditation this kind of joy I

couldn't compare to drunkenness although

I can see how people might do so because

if I

myself in the mirror my eyes were just

so relaxed and I had a wide smile on my

face

it's definitely of a different quality I

think Bart a once called it relief and I

could definitely apply that to it mind

was totally Aquinas and relaxed and

balanced and only focused on what the

body was doing no matter how mundane for

example when I went to put pizza in the

oven there were no reflections of

thoughts or anything in the mind my

focus was on unboxing the pizza slowly

almost like an automaton without any

involvement yet I was totally present

and aware of each action happening SD

California the first time nirvana occurs

many people will not recognize or see

the 12 links but they will have the

experience of Nibbana regardless at the

next level called fusion it is likely

they will witness more clearly the links

rising and passing away fruition

knowledge is much deeper it happens in

this way for many people when they

experienced the first path the so

tarpana paths knowledge can have the

cessation with the relief but the links

themselves just are not clear they may

report more often a blackout where they

just disappeared and then came back

the fruition will be attained later

after they have practiced some more this

will cement in the attainment in a

deeper way again when wisdom arises the

first three of the ten fetters are

eliminated in the first path attainment

all of thee fetters are fully abandoned

after the attainment of full awakening

which is arahant ship

what is nirvana Nibbana is described in

the poly Tech's as a dar - or element

earth air fire water space and

consciousness are elements as taught by

the Buddha the Nibin Adar is also an

element and its other qualities are

described by bhikkhu bodhi here the

Buddha also refers to near Bonner as AI

Itano

this means realm plane or sphere it is a

sphere where there is nothing at all the

corresponds to our mundane experience

and therefore it has to be described by

way of negations as the negation of all

the limited and determinant qualities of

conditioned things the Buddha also

refers to nib honor as a dar - an

element the deathless element he

compares the element of Nibbana to a

notion he says the just as the great

ocean remains at the same level no

matter how much water pours into it from

thee rivers

without increase a decrease so the

Nirvana element remains the same no

matter whether many a few people attain

nirvana he also speaks of Nirvana as

something that can be experienced by the

body and experience that is s'vivon so

powerful that it can be described as

touching the deathless element with

one's own body the Buddha also refers to

near Bonner as a state pada as Amitabha

dart the deathless State or acute a

Parvathi imperishable state another word

used by the Buddha to refer to nirvana

is Sakura

which means truth an existing reality

this refers to nib onerous the truth a

reality that the noble ones have known

through direct experience so all these

terms considered as a whole clearly

established that Nirvana is an actual

reality and not the mere destruction

if defilements of the cessation of

existence Nibbana is unconditioned

without any origination and is timeless

when the near banda element touches

craving it is like the water of the

great ocean putting the fire out

PSSs is no more fire nee means no and

banna means fire no fire Nibbana

venerable boorda dasa baku in an article

entitled Nibbana for everyone a truth

message from suan mokkh adapted and

translated by Santi Paro Baku also

defines Nirvana as an element it is the

coolness when the defilements are ended

Nibbana was a whole other matter than

death instead it's a kind of life that

knows no death Nirvana is the thing

which sustains life thus preventing

death it itself can never die although

thee body must die eventual lie the

cessation and the experience of Nirvana

are two different things

some say when mind stops that is Nibbana

no it is what happens afterward which is

seeing the links arise that causes the

profound insight into existence to arise

that is nirvana

we can't describe the experiences of

Nirvana that happens in each path of

sainthood with conditioned words as it

is beyond our conceptual mind to

perceive but it is what comes after the

experience that gives you a clue as to

what has just happened as described

before some explained feeling a moment

of relief after it happens some

experience a deep understanding of

dependent origination some say they just

went away into a black hole or

disappeared then slowly a mild to strong

euphoria arises I am careful not to use

the word joy here it is beyond that some

describe it like steam that ascends

slowly in mind of perhaps a minty

feeling this is what we call

all-pervading joy it seeps out from

every pore of your body you may not

notice it at first but soon you feel

very uplifted and elevated it is a

feeling of happiness are grounded in

very strong equanimity you realize in a

flat

that there is no controller there is no

ego there is no self everything is

impersonal

it is said no self no problem what a

relief

there is nothing to worry about a

control it is all impersonal arising and

passing away on its own

all of these mental states are arising

from causes they are just conditioned by

previous actions in fact the meaning of

cama poly or karma sanskrit is action

there is the action and then the result

from that action v Parker there is no

self that you need to psychoanalyze to

get to the real problem of this

depression and neuroses once the concept

if self is gone there is nobody left to

be depressed or more clearly nobody left

to take a painful feeling personally it

is only a feeling and it isn't your

feeling you may notice that everything

looks a little different now your senses

appear to be heightened more than normal

meditation might make them colors are

brighter or you just find yourself

looking at the trees with Orand wonder

you notice the mind is sublimely quiet

you'll be asked if you notice a change

in your personality do you feel

different do you have a change in

perspective for some it is a dramatic

change and for others it is subtler in

terms of perception yes I can see a

noticeable shift everything that's

happening around me no longer has my

emotional involvement good bad or

indifferent there's a visible and

experiencial impersonal nature to the

events around me and my mind is no

longer reacting to things

I am taking my time with things not in a

rush there's nowhere to go

what's the hurry and there's a

pleasantness pervading my ctn's calm

collected and happy sb California you

will say your mind feels very relieved

and happy you talked about how you

understand now how everything arises due

to causes and conditions you are

starting to understand deeply what the

links are and how they're dependent on

each other instead of understanding them

intellectually you now understand them

directly you may use the simile of the

cloth as the Buddha did how everything

with its causes and conditions weaves

together to make a cloth it is all

impersonal sutter means thread in Pali

all the Sutter's weave together to make

the cloth the cloth represents your wise

understanding of the whole process of

the Buddha's teaching prior to it the

experience I felt gradual changes after

each sitting like anger reducing and

catching some thoughts half way after

the blackout anger worries stress etc

seem to be massively reduced peace of

mind occasionally negative things would

arise and I could feel a slight tension

that I would relax who didn't require

too much manual intervention also unlike

earlier where I was catching them

halfway through I was aware at the much

earlier my senses seemed more acute

smells as stronger colors seemed

brighter and I'm seeing details I didn't

before

Seba sri lanka you may or may not

remember seeing very much of this but

you will know it this is wisdoms I the

profound knowledge from directly seeing

the deep mind sees what happened and it

has understood what it means this is

wisdom seeing the links of dependent

origination this is the path knowledge

you are now on the path to the full

experience of the first

stage of awakening decisions arise in

your mind and you commit an action that

has a result like a painful a pleasant

feeling arising in the future

breaking precepts results in painful

consequences following precepts result

in wholesome pleasant results what

results do you want now you know what is

wholesome and what leads to wholesome

most people will experience the first

path knowledge in a sitting meditation

but some have reported that it happened

after washing dishes or even turning

over and going back to sleep Nibbana

happens when your knowledge is mature

and you are ready at the Meditation

Center in Missouri we see people get the

path attainment every now and then and

one of the principle ways you can tell

is that the phase changes it is like all

the tension from a lifetime just

disappears it looks as though the face

drops the wrinkled forehead flattens out

you can just see the equanimity bubbling

there is a glowing and a radiance that

is there the speech is more controlled

than less emotional many times bhante

after he comes from the interviews will

point out to meditator to me and say

look at the face when I look if I look

close enough I see an emotionless but

peaceful angelic expression at just a

big smile with her glowing radiance the

wasn't there before after a few days the

most dramatic of these effects

disappears as the hindrances make the

way back just not as strong as before

started off radiating equanimity which

was strong right after walking with

radiating equanimity immediately went

into neither perception nor

non-perception

no desire no craving for anything just

allowing mine to relax deeper and deeper

and deeper while staying on quiet mind a

cessation plank occurred and immediately

after emergence stayed in 8th jhana for

a while then came out and continued to

the joy and equanimity that followed was

refreshing the view of the world around

has changed drastically there is non

attachment and non aversion as I am just

staying with quiet mind smiling without

effort and radiating compassion to

others I've noticed I'm unable to break

the precepts in that I'm automatically

following them without a second thought

and without effort sense of me has just

vanished the world is seriously

different in the way it is experienced

since I began this retreat sensual

pleasures are nothing compared to the

meditation and being unhappy seems like

an impossibility there is tremendous

silence in the mind and interactions

with others are joyful and happy with

lots of laughing and delightful words

all the while radiating loving kindess

to them attachment or aversion make no

sense at all when there's no one being

attached or feeling a version and no

thoughts in the mind sense of ownership

too has faded there's nothing to own a

keep what comes comes and what goes goes

if it comes okay if it goes okay - I'm

an automatic happiness mode everything

that happens around me can be good or

bad and nothing at all and I can just

smile laugh and be happy for no reason

there's no sense of tiredness a letter G

who is being tired

moreover coming out of the meditation

seems to generate a lot of energy for

the day it's better than any energy

drink or coffee craving has become

minuscule it just doesn't register as

something the mind can do anymore SD

California so tarpana fruition fala the

first path knowledge which is

experienced one time is followed by the

first fusion knowledge the path

knowledge gets you through the door

the fooiish and knowledge closes the

door and locks in your understanding

this all happens when you have another

cessation moment arise in your

meditation and you experience nirvana

again after you experience the sotapanna

path attainment as outlined above then

if you sit and continue to meditate

exactly as you did before you will

experience that process of a blank spot

and flashes again with another feeling

of relief this is the so tarpana

fruition this is the first stage of four

stages of sainthood you have entered the

temple now but there are three more

levels of attainment following so

tarpana which we will get into following

this chapter however you might be too

Restless to sit right after your path

for tainment this is due to the strong

all-pervading joy you will be

experiencing over the next few days as

your energy wanes you'll be encouraged

to go back to your chair or cushion and

gain the fruition of sotapanna

you may be told that your mind is very

strong now

do not waste any time use this time to

make even more progress you are

understandably happy about your past

experience but now that your mind is

bright and very clear it is helpful to

continue to the fruit of the first stage

of awakening your mind is open and ready

so just continue with your practice

gaining the fruit is what changes the

personality in a major way gaining the

first path is a preliminary step to

gaining the full attainment and fruition

of so tarpana the meditator with only

the path experience can actually slide

back due to bad behavior in breaking

precepts you can lose your attainment

this is why it is called the path

knowledge you have become a collar so

tarpana little stream enter at you are

still on the path not done yet you must

keep the precepts fully meditate and

attain cessation once again once the

fruition is attained the path has been

fully traveled and you and now a noble

one who will never break the precepts

you have reached the first level of

sainthood fontava malarum she likes to

say you have given up a notion of

suffering a sotapanna purifies and

eliminates from his mind the first three

fetters of being there attend in all

one Sakura ditty personality belief you

now know without any doubt that there is

no permanent self or soul to the Shakya

sceptical doubt about the Dhamma

you will have no doubt about the path

you will know how you achieved what you

did and how to continue the practice you

have total confidence in the Buddha's

method you have full confidence in the

Buddha Dharma and Sangha 3 sila bart are

para masseur clinging to rites and

rituals thinking that they will by

themselves lead to awakening you will

understand that bowing chanting or

worshipping the bud DHA will not get you

to the experience of Nirvana no matter

how much you do this you must do the

work of meditation and study to attain

nirvana

with the second step of fruition being

attained you will not be able to break

precepts anymore you might try to do it

just as a test but you won't be able to

go through with it with only the path

knowledge you could potentially break

them and this is the danger of not

obtaining the fruit with only the first

path knowledge it is still possible that

if you did continue to break precepts

and behave badly you could lose your

attainment you would have to go through

the process having the experience of

seeing dependent origination again

sutter m in 105 Sun Nakata sutter

addresses this possibility with the

simile of the wound and healing if one

does not take care of the wound it is

liable to become infected however with

proper care the wound will heal

completely without any possibility of

becoming infected in the same way with

the proper taking care of path knowledge

your attainment will not be lost with

the fruition your attainment is locked

in there is no going back to the state

of the world link path who Jonah as a so

tarpana you're destined to have no more

than seven lifetimes before you get off

the wheel become a full arrogant with

all ten fetters destroyed and attained

final parinibbana also when you are

reborn at worst you will not fall below

the human realm you are also assured

that your next life will be pleasant

where you can continue to do your work

to get off the wheel there are 31 planes

of existence is you will not fall into

the painful hellish realms now you won't

come back as an animal a ghost you may

return to the human realm or to one of

the six devar a celestial heaven realms

where there is only enjoyment and

pleasures if you attained jhana and you

certainly did practicing Twi M you will

be destined for at least one of the

Brahma realms with incredibly long life

spans where beings feed on joy to

sustain themselves or you may go even

higher into one of the four arrow /

realms where there is only mind no

tasting a touching there exclusively

mental realms with no physical body in

these realms it is said that lifespans

are measured with it one followed by

miles of zeros so they are very long if

for some reason you have only attained

the path knowledge and having broken

precepts but you did not continue your

meditation in this lifetime

thus utters say you will attain the

fruition on it before your death most of

the time it mil come a lot sooner on a

retreat fruition could come in only a

few days or even hours if you continue

to practice without a break recently a

man in Chicago experienced the path at

lunch time and the fruition arose for

him at 1:20 a.m. thick night he didn't

see the links the first time but with

the fruition he did report them all the

higher paths are attained by just

continuing the practice in the same way

there will be deeper and subtler fetters

to see and abandon your meditation will

be easier but still the balance of the

fetters will continue to arise now your

confidence will be very strong and

you'll be without doubt the suttas also

described another way of becoming a so

tarpana simply hearing a passage of text

can bring about the so tarpana or

sakagami paths in one translation SOT a

means here

and panna means wisdom wisdom through

hearing this is rare but it had happened

for many of the Buddha's disciples like

Sarah Porter and maulana but for this to

happen thei teacher must say exactly the

right thing and the student must be

ready again this is a very rare

occurrence and it tends to take a Buddha

to accomplish it now you have had the

first two experiences of Nirvana and

have become a sotapanna with fruition

this is the goal of e8 jhanas and the

path I have been describing you have

become a noble one one who has now

broken out of the samsaric wheel of

existences but there is still more to do

there are the four levels of noble ones

and three more I will describe below

that you still must go through to fully

eliminate all craving in your mind if

you want to accomplish all of this in

one lifetime chapter 16 second stage

sakagami meditation instruction now that

you have attained the first path and

fruition of so tarpana how do you

continue that is easy just keep doing

what you are doing each stage of

awakening is just one more step on the

ladder to eliminating craving now the

meditator spends two minutes in each

direction radiating equanimity and then

all around as before and again when the

feeling fades away you observe the quiet

clear mind and six are any phenomena

that arise that's it just keep going and

this is the process all the way to the

highest attainment the second stage of

awakening is a continued deepening of

the meditation practice you become a

saccade egami when you cv links of

dependent origination arising and

passing away twice versus only one time

for the sotapanna there is a cessation

and you quickly see the twelve links of

dependent origination one time and then

they arise and pass away a second time

right after the first in total 24 links

arise and pass away all at once my train

cars one after the other this sealing of

the links is followed by a moment of

relief this is not just based on the

Sutter texts but has been observed in

students experience after you attained

sakagami path Magga the secod egami

fruition fala comes when you once again

experience cessation and the links of

dependent origination arising and

passing away twice sometimes in the

paths experienced the student does not

actually see the bubbles which are the

links but they will see them at the

fusion as before it is at fruition where

the personality changes permanently path

knowledge means really you are just on

the path to the fruit a completion of

the secod egami stage at this stage you

weaken but don't fully eliminate the

fetters of one karma raga sensuous

craving a lust to via par de ill-will

hatred anger aversion and fear these

have been loosened at times these

unwholesome states will still arise if

the circumstance presents itself you

will tend to avoid anger and lust seeing

them as course states if they arise you

will notice six are them you'll be

surprised if they hang around very long

you'll be motivated to continue your

meditation to fully eliminate these

disturbing states of mind but they will

still be present just not as strong it

is at the fruition there is a strong

release and letting go of sensual

desires this doesn't necessarily mean

sexual desire but the course desires for

sensual pleasures like entertainment

eating out and bodily pleasure sexual

desire is deeper and is let go later a

note here is that if the fusion of any

path is not experienced in this lifetime

it will happen upon your death as a

psychotic garmi you will have no more

than just one time that you have to

return to the human or higher realms

before you

attained final parinibbana and release

from samsara as a so tarpana

it was seven the quality of the sitting

was much different from the first

session today this one being the final

meditation of today I began with quiet

mind as object after having done the

walking meditation with equanimity as

the object no preconceptions if what was

to come in the meditation automatic six

ring which has become an impersonal and

automatic process a blank occurred and

there was strong balance but more see

quality of mind itself is transformed

it's as if and the best way I can

describe it is to use a metaphor like

the mind of an infant wouldn't know

exactly how an infant's mind works and

what I mean by that his mind is empty

empty of concepts empty of thoughts

empty of identity empty of sorrow empty

even of bliss certainly bliss arose

after the blank but the mind is

following this meditation to tally free

there is no craving there is no wanting

desire is striving to be a not be mind

functions according to the needs of a

given moment but otherwise is utterly

and profoundly quiet even the concept of

being in the moment is utterly gone who

is there to be in the moment total

freedom from all ideas notions Bay Leafs

thoughts a fresh and clean slate SD

California three ways to Nirvana as

outlined in this book the first and

easiest way to reach nirvana is through

the jhana

path what I'm describing in this book

there are however two other ways to

attain nirvana the second way is the way

the Buddha's own awakening process

unfolded he went to the fourth jhana and

then one he remembered his past lives

too he visited other realms and saw how

and why beings were reborn there and

finally three he saw how camera works

how causes create in more causes in a

never-ending wheel that leads to old age

and death disenchantment and this

passion arose through this knowledge and

Nibbana was attained this way is called

the threefold knowledge

Tavita that is one knowledge of past

lives

two knowledge of beings in other realms

pand three knowledge of the destruction

of the Taine's Nibbana the third way is

through attaining all the psychic powers

or it is and then attaining Nibbana this

practice is most suited to people who

are sensitive to feeling or emotionally

driven being sensitive to feeling means

you are a feeling type person who is

governed by your heart the other type of

person is an intellectual person ruled

by logic and pragmatic decisions they

are best suited to go through the

jonna's people who are mixed may take

the Buddha's path for thee threefold

knowledge ago through the jonna's you

can be taught to remember your past

lives but we will not go into this

practice here you can ask the teacher if

it would be helpful and they can decide

whether they will teach it to you based

on your progress and your personality

type the psychic power root is a

difficult path and can take many years

it brings with it a danger of becoming

attached to these powers and not wanting

to proceed it can bring up a lot of

conceit and arrogance about having such

unique abilities in the opinion of the

bonteri malarum she it is the most

difficult of the ways he says you can

learn this but it will take you 10 years

and you will have to stay with him for

that whole time chapter 17 third stage

Hana gommi the Buddha considered the

first and second stage of attainments to

be learner states the fruit of the

meditation starts to develop at the next

stage of a Nogami

where hatred and sensual desire are

eliminated together with the previous

three taints that were eliminated at so

tarpana these are the five lower fetters

this is truly a worthy and elevated

state of being paramount which is the

fourth and final stage then eliminates

the rest of the ten fetters completely

to attain the higher paths of a Nogami

and arahant one must practice meditation

whereas before one might have become

awakened to the first two paths just by

listening to a phrase it will now

require intense meditation practice with

full passage through the Jonah's deep

meditation is needed to see even more

clearly the nature of the links of

dependent origination and how mind is

working taking everything personally

after more meditation and devotion to

the practice you will experience

cessation again then you'll see the

links of dependent origination arise and

pass away three times after a cessation

moment in quick succession this is the a

Nogami Magra path knowledge of the third

stage of awakening after you experience

a Nogami Magga if you experience the

same thing again then a Nogami faller of

flourish and knowledge will arise three

times a Nanna gommi has very strong

equanimity nothing disturbs you except

sometimes some restlessness that arises

whereas before you might have reacted

with some sensual desire lust hatred or

aversion this is no longer the case in

addition there isn't the slightest fear

now because of the elimination of hatred

fear is part of hatred you will have

destroyed the first five fetters

completely one Sakura dirty personality

belief in an eye or personal selfish

soul two vicious skeptical dad that the

Dhamma is the true way 3 sila bart are

paramus are clinging to rites and

rituals for karma raga sensual craving

lust 5vr pada Hill will hatred anger

aversion and fear now you are very

balanced in mind this is not some super

conscious state but simply the removal

of most of the craving Tana from your

mind you are still you and you still

have your personality but the influences

of the craving neurotic fearful self not

there now you can continue working at

your job and be in the world work that

is involved in honest ethical pursuits

will appeal to you you'll be completely

truthful and fair in your dealings with

your customers and fellow employees you

will treat your fellow employees with

kindness and not be shaken by any out

from the boss you will notice that you

are no longer bothered by the petty

fears and hang-ups that most people

experience you'll become a better

employee in the better boss you will

have no fear of anything and never be

intimidated you will follow directions

perfectly but have no problem with

pushing back against unwise orders given

to you and will not fear to talk to the

boss in an even unemotional way you

won't complain a gossip with other

employees about what is wrong and you

might even be promoted up the ranks

truly worldly success will come as you

achieve deep spiritual success romantic

interest is removed in a major way at

the path knowledge and eliminated

entirely at the fruition knowledge for a

Nogami you will no longer desire

marriage or a family however if you

currently are married to have a family

your romantic lust will be replaced with

strong pure loving kindness you will

live with your mate as best friends a

brother and sister you won't have any

more children because your desire for

sex will be lost you'll be the most

wonderful parent conceivable you won't

ever get mad and you will always love

and make plenty of time for your child

your two-year-old won't get on your

nerves anymore because you know that's

the nature of a two-year-old it's okay

you will acquire what you need and not

what you want you won't have big desires

to do things other than being happy with

what you have in what you are doing

right now you will want to share what

you have learned in your meditation by

teaching but you won't be attached to

promoting anything if it happens it

happens your happiness with what you

have achieved will be something you

naturally want to share with others if

you are working gradually you will move

away from just doing a job to make money

to looking for ways to help people

directly by starting a meditation group

or teaching meditation full-time people

will ask you what depression is a what

suffering is and you'll be able to tell

them with no doubts you will know how

your mind works

we'll be able to explain it to others

and best of all going to the dentist

won't bother you you will never be born

again in the sensuous realms if you

don't attain arahant in this lifetime

you'll be reborn in one of the five high

Brahma realms called the pure abodes

where there are only other a Nogami

Xanterra hands for this realm you are

destined to attain Harahan a Thep and

get off the wheel but there is still

more to do there are ten fetters and you

have removed five there are yet five

more these are the final obstacles to

fully Awakening and freedom from even a

wisp of craving chapter 18 fourth stage

Aravind

when you become an arahant there is

nothing more that can disturb your mind

you will experience arahat Omega and

arahato fallow

path and fruition with each path and

each fruition experience you'll witness

the arising and passing away of the

links of dependent origination four

times very quickly you will now have

completely let go of all ten fetters of

being there is no further mental

suffering for you of any kind one Sakura

Duty personality belief in an eye or

personal self assault the realisation of

the total impersonality of all existence

- Vishal kitch a sceptical doubt that

the correct practice of right effort is

the true way to awakening 3 sila Bart

our Paramus are realizing that rites and

rituals by themselves do not lead to

awakening for karma raga craving for

sensual pleasures 5vr pada Hill will

hatred and fear 6 Rupa raga and Haru

pariah the desire for material and

immaterial existence the desire to be

reborn in any realm of existence this

fetter listing her has these two desires

for existence combined into one which is

different from the way they are normally

listed closing parenthesis 7 mana

conceit comparing with somebody else

thinking in your mind I am better than

you or I am less than you

comparing yourself to others eight thin

emitter sloth and torpor

although sloth and torpor are frequently

not classically included as part of the

fetters sloth and torpor considered as

one of the hindrances which is why Bart

Ava malarum she added here the suttas

list this as a hindrance quite clearly

nine ADAAA restlessness and worry ten

effigy pigments of the Four Noble Truths

and the workings of dependent

origination you will be sought out for

your wisdom as there is no craving left

in your mind and your mind is completely

transparent you see how your mind works

and can easily explain it to others the

Buddha was an arrogant and passed

through all of the jhanas and went

through all the stages of awakening it

is said you could ask the Buddha a

question and he would give you the

perfect answer

he always said exactly what was called

for at the time you may not have the

depth of his understanding or ability to

speak but it will be close you will have

experienced Nirvana the same number of

times but your understanding of what you

saw our ability to explain it may be

less the difference between a Buddha and

an arahant is that the Buddha has gone

through countless lifetimes of

purification and can be compared to a

bottle that is completely empty clear

and sparkling there will be no taint a

smell of what was there before in an

arahant there may be just a whiff of the

personality that was there before like a

milk bottle that is emptied and cleaned

out but with some faint remnant of what

was there nonetheless both a border and

an arahant Oberth empty of craving and

ego both have the same attainments

another difference here is that a Buddha

comes to wisdom solely through their own

efforts while an era hand reaches

awakening by hearing the teachings of a

Buddha when somebody asks you if you

have any attachments to relatives a

family you will say no there is nothing

that makes your mind lose its balance

yet arahants are not automatons the

Buddha was hardly an automaton he not

only responded to P

who needed his help but went from place

to place finding beings with little dust

in their eyes who he felt could

understand his teachings he initiated

conversations seeking out beings that he

could help awaken he invited other

teachers to come and argue their views

with him in order to teach more students

and convince more people he knew the

true way it was said that he taught the

divers and beings in other realms while

everyone else was asleep at night you

will compassionately take care of any

problem that you find you will always

help others to overcome problems but

will never push your help on them you'll

be equally compassionate to all beings

and not just members of your family your

loving kindness now knows no bounds or

limits you will treat the lowly and as

well as you treat your closest friend

you will not proselytize ism you will

answer questions and bring up Dharma at

the right time it is unlikely anyone

would ever know about your attainment as

there is no longer conceited desire to

say you are better than anyone and as

far as you are concerned your mind is

simply clear and that is all there may

arise in you some psychic powers like

reading minds of something else but it

just depends on your past karmic actions

Sara Potter had little in the way of

powers yet he was an intellectual giant

and called the general of e Dharma

molana' had every power that was

possible and then some but his intellect

was not as sharp as he had more of a

feeling or emotional type of personality

feeling personalities have a strong

tendency to be able to develop psychic

powers your intuition about things will

be exquisite your meditation practice

will be very deep with no distractions

you can decide to go into a jhana or

even cessation Narada itself at will

you'll be able to resolve to sit in the

cessation if perception feeling and

consciousness for up to seven days if

you go any longer than that your body

will lose its heat and vitality and die

you must be careful going into a state

of extended cessation is of great

benefit because when you come out of

this state your mind will be extremely

energetic and awake you will need much

less sleep the Buddha was said to have

slept only an hour per night

people with the fruition of a Nogami

also have limited ability to go into a

cessation and there are now students

that can make this determination and

sit-in cessation for as long as they

wish

theoretically based on the Sutter's you

can sit for seven full days and get up

as if you had just recently sat down

with no pain full of energy this

cessation stayed is different than what

is mentioned in the suttas as he

attained to the cessation of perception

feeling and consciousness and his taints

were destroyed by seeing with wisdom

when this state has attained you do not

see the links arise and attain nirvana

it is simply a stilling and stopping of

mind why one doesn't see the links again

and attained Nirvana again I cannot say

all we can say is that there is a

cessation and there is a cessation

different in some way there is also a

difference between the cessation state

of an allegory versus an arahant

cessation or in pali narada is a

stopping of the mental stream just like

when you turn the water off from the

faucet and it drips a little bit and

then stops there is no more water narada

is the stopping of all mental activity

it is when mind becomes so tranquil that

it just stops

however the arahants mind is so pure

that when he determines to go into this

cessation experience it is a state

closer to Nibbana an unconditioned state

it is not just a stopping but something

else instead of the conditioned mind

stopping my now moves toward the

unconditioned Bakunin and under in his

series they mind stilled in sermons

sixteen goes into this subject and calls

this state by its pali name arahat of

allah so Mahdi he explains it here but

the awakening in Nirvana

is not of such a temporary character why

because all the influxes that lead one

int with e samsaric slumber with its

dreams of recurrent births are made

extinct in the light of that perfect

knowledge of

realization that is why the term ass of

Acharya extinction of influxes is used

in the discourses as an epithet of

nirvana the arahants accomplished this

feat in the concentration on the fruit

of era and hoed para hatoful a samadhi

fontava malarum she has traveled the

world and talked to and studied under

many of the recognized meditation

masters of our time he is inevitably

asked if he has met any other hands

what about a fill-in-the-blank he says

no so far he has not met anyone that he

felt was arrogant he says you need to

spend time evaluating someone to be sure

they have no more fetters but he is

hopeful that we will have one soon you

are at the end of the Eightfold Path you

have eliminated ignorance and craving

through thoroughly understanding the

Four Noble Truths you have traveled the

Eightfold Path to the end of suffering

you will live out your current life part

will not be born again to the maelstrom

of samsara and will not be subject to

its disease you have found freedom you

have become another noble one in the

Buddha's dispensation mmm 21 monks

rightly speaking were it to be said of

anyone he has attained mastery and

perfection in noble virtue attained

mastery and perfection in Irbil

collectiveness attained mastery and

perfection in noble wisdom attained

mastery and perfection in noble

deliverance it is of Sarah Potter indeed

but rightly speaking this should be said

22 monks rightly speaking were it to be

said of anyone he is the son of the

Blessed One born of his breast born of

his mouth born of the Dharma created by

the Dharma an heir in the Dharma not an

heir in material things

it is of Sara / - indeed but rightly

speaking this should be said 23 monks

the matchless wheel of the Dharma set

rolling by the tathagata is kept rolling

rightly by Sarah Porter that is what the

Blessed One said the monks were

satisfied and delighted in a Blessed

ones words in a Baku whose chains had

destroyed these last patron delusion are

abandoned cut off at the root

like a palm stamp done away with so that

they are no longer subject to futa

arising

chapter 19 the power of Jonna

experiencing the state of Jonna in this

lifetime is a very powerful and

far-reaching event that you can achieve

pretty quickly in this lifetime in fact

it is only second to attaining Nibbana

itself why is it so important it is

important because that when you attain

even one moment of jannah the Sutter's

say that if you keep your precepts and

continue to lead a relatively moral life

until your death you'll be destined at a

minimum to be reborn into a realm called

a brahmaloka this is a very high

heavenly realm the corresponds to the

last and highest most jhana you have

attained in your practice for example if

the last and highest Jharna you

experienced during your lifetime was the

third jhana then you would be reborn

into the third jhana realm at brahmaloka

at the highest state degree in this

realm it is called the Davos of

refulgent glory subhana devar because of

the great merit to wholesome energy of

the jannah you will never return to a

human of the lower heaven realms much

less hell ghosts or animal realms now if

that isn't good news then there is an

even more interesting fact that the

suttas described and is found in thee

anga tara nicaya you will attain nirvana

that in that realm without any return to

a lower realm not only are you reborn

into a brahmaloka

but you never take rebirth in any lower

realm even if you have not attained

Nirvana and all it took was to

experience jhana just once this should

motivate you to go sit it is widely

written in most books on Buddhism that

should you attain so tarpana or higher

attainment that you will return at most

seven times to any realm before

attaining final Nirvana or arahant ship

but it can actually only be as little as

one time if you attained Nirvana through

the jhana practice note this is the

tranquil aware jhana state we are

talking about you'll be only reborn one

time in the highest Jarah realm that you

experienced on attained final awakening

there

there are subtle references to support

this coming up but first we must address

a common misconception that you must

actually be in the state of Jonah while

you are dying to be reborn into that

higher realm attaining Jannah just one

time the suttas to say that if you

attain Jannah then you are automatically

reborn into the corresponding brahmaloka

realm and never return back to a lower

realm however most people think that

when you die you have to be in the state

of Jannah the thought is that if you

attain the first jhana then rebirth is

in the first jhana realm rebirth is very

pleasant and is one Eon long there if

you attain the second jhana then this

realm is higher still and so on up to

the eighth level of e aru per base of

neither perception nor non-perception

abuse the below sutter it is a satyr

central dotnet translation but I am

going to change some of the text to Baku

bodies version this becomes clearer with

his anger tara nicaya translation

printed by wisdom publications in 2012

on page 507 this is a satyr entitled

goodwill loving-kindness the book of

falls satyr 125 this is to address the

skeptics that think that to be reborn in

a brahmaloka requires that you be in the

jhana meditation state at the moment of

your death hang guitar Anika 125 5 hook

of falls loving-kindness monks there are

these 4 types of individuals to be found

existing in the world which for there is

the case where an individual keeps

pervading the first direction as well as

the second direction the 3rd and the 4th

with an awareness imbued with

loving-kindness a matter thus he keeps

pervading above below and all around

everywhere and in every respect the

all-encompassing cosmos with an

awareness imbued with good will loving

kindness abundant expansive immeasurable

a free from hostility free from ill will

he savors that longs for that finds

satisfaction through that staying there

fixed on that dwelling that are often

not falling away from that DJ easily

able to return to that jhana then when

he dies he reappears in conjunction with

the divers of Brahmas retinue first

jhana realm the divers of Brahmas

retinue monks have a lifespan of an eon

if we look at the sutter this idea of

having to be in the jhana state that

death appears not to be the case luckily

you only need to be able to experience

in the time period that is near your

death through a normal sitting the

ability to get back into the jhana again

with this condition you have fulfilled

the criteria the only exception would be

if you had committed any of the five

heinous crimes killing an arahant

killing your mother or father causing a

schism in the Sangha or wounding a

Buddha all of which are either

impossible or extremely unlikely as long

you meet these criteria you'll be reborn

into it for example that very pleasant

first jhana realm and if you are able to

attain the first jhana in the time

period around your death then you'll be

assured of being reborn into that realm

it doesn't say you have to be in the

jhana at the moment of death who could

actually accomplish that anyway you are

dying you may be sick and weak it would

take a Buddha but then he is already

fully enlightened and it would not apply

to him anyway

most meditator Twi M students would

likely be able to get into a jhana

easily enough later on in life if they

have kept the practice up or at least

led a moral life and kept precepts it's

like getting on a bike the next part is

now subject to more interpretation and I

will do my best to help with this the

Sutter says that whatever jhana realm

that you are reborn into having arrived

in the realm by your jhana practice you

will attain nirvana in that

realm never to return to any lower realm

or for that matter any realm at all but

it starts off with saying that someone

other than the Buddha's disciples will

go to the lower realms immediately after

having enjoyed that high rebirth

continued on guitar anika 125 five book

of Falls loving-kindness a

run-of-the-mill worldling person having

stayed there having used up all the

lifespan of those Davis goes to hell to

the animal womb to the state of the

hungry shades ghosts but a disciple of

the Blessed one below it says noble

disciple so this means following the

Buddha's training in the aware Jonah's

not concentration Jonah's having stayed

there having used up all the lifespan of

those Davers is unbound attains final

Nirvana right in that state of being

this monks is the difference this the

distinction this the distinguishing

factor between an educated disciple of a

noble ones though is having practiced

the jhana path that the Buddha found and

an uneducated run-of-the-mill person a

disciple of another system of meditation

like absorption concentration the Buddha

tried them all before finding the aware

jhana path when there is future destino

Tien and rebirth the Sutter implies that

if you attain jhana and you have learned

through meditation practice from the

Buddha then you'll be reborn into the

jhana realm and attained final nirvana

in that realm and get off the wheel

right there with no further births

however there is this quite ominous

warning and believe me most people will

not like this at all about your

subsequent rebirth after having been

reborn into a journey realm if you did

not learn your meditation from the

Buddha

if you attained jhana using

concentration methods taught by other

teachers the Buddha he rejected

concentration methods

early on in his search you will indeed

be reborn to this Brahma Locker and live

out your life there but shockingly you

will not gracefully fall down from the

brahmaloka to a devar a heavenly realm

and then gently a reborn into a human

birth as your good camera and merit is

used up but rather fall directly into

the lower planes of existence like thee

animal Rahel realms

this does not agree with the Ab head

hammer which most monks would consult

for this type of inquiry in fact there

is disagreement about whether the app

had hammer was spoken by the Buddha at

all it is generally theorized by many

scholars that it was added to the basket

of texts at the third Council of monks

and two hundred years after the Buddha

died so how could he have said this so

if we go by the suttas only then we need

to change our views after explaining

this sutter to one of our more advanced

students in the USA he said he did

recall one of his past lives in a

brahmaloka heaven Rome and he remembered

actually dying from the realm he was

shocked to find he had fallen all the

way down to become an animal in his next

rebirth from a God to a dog a Sri Lankan

student a Dhamma sukha for a retreat

agreed with this idea and quoted a

Sutter reference I don't recall now

where the Buddha is asked about a stream

of ants walking on the ground he said

that these beings had fallen from a

brahmaloka and had not gotten off the

wheel and attained nirvana the Buddha

pointed this out as an admonishment to

Sarah Porter who had just gotten someone

on the death bed into a wholesome enough

steak for rebirth after death into a

heavenly daiva realm the admonishment

was for only getting them into a

heavenly realm and not giving them

enough wisdom for them to attain the

knowledge of nirvana right there and get

off the wheel out of this or only one

more lifetime if you attain a few

absorption concentration jhanas then

eventually that karma runs out and it

really runs out you might become an ant

after you'll say in a heavenly palace

I'll note here that I believe the above

example may be a student that only

attained the brahmaloka through an act

of good merit not attaining any jhanas

but only was listening to Sarah pod went

through their giving ear the mind became

elevated enough to get into a brahmaloka

through the hearing of a Sutter because

it was not through jhana practice there

would be no protection from falling from

that realm there are stories of people

acquiring enough merit at the time of

the Buddha to be reborn even as high as

the Brahma liquors but due to not having

any jhana practice to protect them

either concentration a tranquil aware

jhana they fell directly to the lower

realms as that was the only good merit

keeping them in the higher realm I don't

know all this is speculation but let's

go to thee SATA PG 347 imperturbable 116

beforehand guitar nicaya BB 2012 monks

there are three types of persons found

in this world one here monks with the

attainment of the base of infinite space

this person relishes it and find

satisfaction in it if he is firm in dot

and has not lost it when he dies he is

reborn in companionship with the diverse

of the infinite space the lifespan is

twenty thousand eons this worldling

remains there all his life and when he

has completed the entire lifespan of

those Davers he goes down to hell to the

animal realm are to the sphere of

afflicted spirits but the Blessed ones

disciples they're all his life and when

he has completed his entire lifespan of

those Davers he attains Nirvana in the

very same state of existence this is the

difference between the instructed noble

ones disciple and the worldling the

Sutter goes on to repeat for the base of

infinite consciousness and nothingness

so this is saying that if you are able

to enter into a jhana

in this specific case an Aruba jhana or

a death and you have not arrived at this

realm through wrong concentration

because of a large amount of worldly

merit then you are liable to fall

sharply for that realm directly into a

lower realm without gradually falling

first into a day virome and then again

further up down to a human realm this

doesn't say a noble disciple

it says the Blessed ones disciple just a

disciple is all this means they are

someone following the jhana a practiced

path laid out by the Buddha they don't

have any attainments as if they did they

would be referred to as a noble disciple

in summary I leave you with some quotes

from the suttas to suggest it is up to

the reader to decide that if you keep up

your meditation practice and are able to

get into a jhana near and around the

time of your death then you will not

only be reborn into with a corresponding

brahmaloka but attain nirvana that

without ever returning to a lower

rebirth pretty good again this is

commonly thought as only the domain of

the stream enter or a higher noble

disciple it was thought that you had to

have the third stage Nirvana experienced

and never returned to this world a lower

in fact all you need to do is just

attain jhana this is a wonderful

discovery and if true we are very lucky

even for those whose practices only a

little bit advanced with just the first

jhana are attained that said the Buddha

always admonished followers not ever to

stop and to continue the practice until

final awakening was achieved here and

now he had high expectations and

demanded the highest achievement either

you were an arahant or you were still a

rookie John our Nogami ajahn our naga

meter reading through the anchor

tyrannic higher is quite interesting as

there are some nuggets in these texts

that don't appear elsewhere in the other

nakaya's what I found specifically is a

different understanding or definition of

the sotapanna and sakagami noble

disciples first and second level

attainments it is thought that only in a

Nogami attainment third stage of

awakening will give you enough merit for

your rebirth in your

next lifetime to be reborn in a

brahmaloka and in the case of the a

Nogami a very special brahmaloka called

the pure abodes we're only a Nogami is a

reborn because they have eliminated the

first five fetters of craving for that

they attain our hand ship in that realm

and never take birth again it is an

incredible accomplishment for this to be

your last lifetime in the lower realms

even the human and Daver realms and this

is what the a Nogami achieves however i

found some good news for the first to

lower noble levels in the anchor tar

Anika for the first two noble disciples

if you attain so tarpana a saccade egami

and you did this through the Jharna

meditation practice then you'll be

reborn into the Brahma Lacaze never to

return

like the a Nogami the first and second

paths can be attained through hearing a

satyr however when you attain them with

jhana practice your advantage is that

you are reborn into the highest realm

available to a meditator you will not

return to any lower realm you will

attain nirvana in the realm and get off

thee will right there no more lifetime's

like seven lives for a so tarpana

and one for a saccade egami which is the

case described in some many commentaries

those noble disciples that have the

attainment of cert are para a saccade

egami that was attained through the

jhana a practice are given a unique

title of john our Nogami edge on our

naga meter public uu bodies notes from a

commentary he does note in his

translation of the anger tyranny car

notes number 539 and number two thousand

193 which i reproduce later let's go to

the suttas here is a partial Sutter

quote regarding the never return of

status of cert our parlor as sakagami PG

1541 the deed born body 219 9 tan this

noble disciple understands when the

liberation of mind by loving-kindness

has been developed in this way who has

attain the Jonah's through the brahma

vihara it leads to non returning for

wise baku here who does not penetrate to

a further liberation a similar satyr is

found on PG 327 autumn 94 3 Dan Vickers

just as in the autumn when the sky is

clear and cloudless the Sun ascending in

the sky dispels all darkness from space

as it shines and beams and radiates satu

when the dust free stainless Armour

arises in the noble disciple together

with the era seeing of vision the noble

disciple abandons 3 fattest person

existence view doubt and wrong grasp of

behaviour and observance s afterward

when he departs from two states longing

and ill-will then secluded from sensual

pleasures secluded from unwholesome

states he enters and trolls in the first

jhana

which consists of rapture and pleasure

born of seclusion accompanied by thought

and examination if biggest the noble

disciple should pass away on that

occasion there is no feta bound by which

he might return to this world the above

person clearly becomes free of three

fetters and has become a so tarpana

bhiku body explains in a node number 539

page 16 63 relating to the above passage

equals this type of individual at John

our Nogami or as in the duplicate note

number 2193 hey John our Naga meter here

is the note number 2193

page 1859 by bhikkhu bodhi this phrase

normally denotes the attainment of non

returning MP commentaries however

identifies this disciple as a John a non

returner John our naga meter that is a

stream into a once returner who also

attains jhana though such a practitioner

has not yet eliminated the two fetters

of sensual desire and will will by

attaining jhana he or she is bound to be

reborn in the form realm and attained

Nirvana that without taking another

rebirth in the sense fear

I will note here myself that I don't

know what the differences are between

the two types of John our Niagara miss

it is not explained by bhikkhu bodhi so

now we have a new type of noble one one

that has attained Soutar parlor and

sakagami attained by following the jana

meditation system not attained through

listening to a phrase or other method he

has earned the achievement of not having

to be born again in the lower devvra

human realms and will be reborn in a

brahmana cur and attained final nirvana

there it says the forum realm and I

would theorize that this is the pure

abodes as this is the highest form realm

otherwise logically if you do attain to

the arupa jhana which you would do

practicing by using the jhana path then

you would be reborn in the hierarchy

elemental Brahman occurs where there is

only mind ie the base of nothingness etc

this would not be a berth in a form

realm but rather a formless realm this

seems fairly logical as it would make no

sense for someone who attained so TARP

honored to be reborn again as a human

being with the same people they grew up

with the same high school dance party

that they went to the same people who

never knew all followed precepts no I

don't think that makes sense as Soutar

pond is a very high being called as sat

in many places and it would be very

doubtful that he/she would be reborn

into the company of worldlings

even reborn as a regular monk among

monks who themselves are still

worldlings

many monks these days our study monks or

serve laypeople performing rites and

rituals and have not meditated I will

leave all these ideas in the last

chapter to contemplate but I found it

rather interesting and hopeful it may be

quite confusing but I seem to have

become a true Buddhist speak as I'm

interested in the finer perhaps

really-really finer points of

attainments this research of course is

solely based on what the suttas say at

which I would hope to be

true and correct the interpretation of

course is just my own chapter 20 after

the retreat people asked after a retreat

or what they think is a major attainment

now what do I do

how do I practice each day first one of

the misunderstandings is that you will

be able to dial up the last jhana you

attained or for that matter any jhana

at will no you won't be able to do that

your practice will take a dip and the

mind will sink back into a coarser state

daily life brings stresses both physical

and emotional

these will tired you out and will affect

your meditation all of the news social

media and relationships you have will

make your mind more restless and

agitated so your meditation will be

restless one day and groggy the next

sometimes you will just be frazzled it

doesn't matter you just continue your

practice each day as long as you can

bhante vim alarum she suggests if you

want true progress each day you will sit

and walk two hours or more most people

will not have the time to spend but

consider 30 minutes or an hour each day

so do that get up a little earlier to

sit progress will continue albeit slower

every day the more pure mind states you

bring up the more mental merit and

purity you obtain it is suggested that

you get up in the morning and go through

your morning things like a bath and

having breakfast and then sit sitting

right away when you get up may lead to

sleepiness if you were working with a

spiritual friend as your object of

meditation then continue that process

when your feeling of Metta arises up

into your head and ceases being in your

hearted chest area then go to the

breaking down the barriers section in

this book and practice but for a day or

two

when your mind is okay with the four

groups of beings and you don't have any

grouse he'll will then continue on to

radiating in the six directions practice

and start with radiating loving-kindness

for the instructions in that section

Sealy fourth jhana chapter in this book

for all of the above instructions if you

have advanced and were practicing that

the formless jhana levels have either

meta Karuna mudita

or a Pecha then on a retreat you would

just return and work with the jhana

feeling you were working with however in

daily life you would be advised to start

each meditation session with meta our

loving-kindness this is the gateway to

all of the other jonna's many students

will get into equanimity on a retreat

and experience all of the higher jhanas

and perhaps get an attainment

they think that they simply can return

to radiating equanimity during daily

life this might not be possible if you

start radiating equanimity you may

actually just be radiating a kind of

calm which is really not equanimity at

all and your practice won't get anywhere

this might leave you frustrated and

wondering why nothing is happening off

retreat your mind is agitated and

restless and no longer in a high state

so it is best to restart with Metta this

loving kindness that is radiated out

which softens the mind and brings

tranquility and energy joy to your

sitting in a very short time your mind

will return to the last level you

attained remember the brahma vihara

practices something that happens

automatically no need to figure this out

just start with Metta and you'll go up

the chain of viharas if you are doing

directions you can do five minutes to

each direction as you did previously if

you have had an attainment you are

suggested to radiate only two minutes in

each direction and then all around then

the rest of the day use your six rupees

to release and relax into a disturbing

mental states that might be triggered

try radiating loving-kindness while you

are driving a shopping do

wholesome States the longer you stay any

wholesome the deeper your practice will

go eventually keep your precepts this is

very important for your practice to go

further avoid intoxicants especially as

that might be the tougher precept to

keep than the others peer pressure can

come into play here but just wave it off

this will have significant payoffs for

you in the future

develop your Dayna a generosity give

more to your local Sangha give more in

general this softens the mind further

and makes merit that will affect your

practice positively and of course

continue to sit meditate Ananda do not

delay or else you will regret it later

this is our instruction to you that is

what be blessed one said the venerable

Ananda was satisfied and delighted in

the Blessed ones words and notes the

path to Nirvana

biography David Johnson has been in

residence at Dhamma sukha meditation

center since 2010 he is a longtime

senior student of fontava malarum XI and

has participated in many retreats

currently he is a capilla personal

attendant the Ven fontava malarum XI

when resides at the center David also

today temporary ordination in 2012 under

Bond TV malarum XI he took on the robes

for a short period history David was a

student of many of the persona retreats

using the Mohave method starting from

the age of 19 he spent nearly 20 years

taking yearly retreats he also has

completed over 12 retreats with bantay

villa room she and has been his student

since 2006 David has taken an

accumulated video footage of in

personally met a Tamar and mahadji Tsai

at all

he previously meditated under Joseph

Goldstein jack Kornfield a new salon and

ER he has brought the footage of these

great teachers to the internet for all

to enjoy

David is from Bellevue near Seattle

Washington from 1973 to 1978 he was the

Meditation Center a treat manager for

the still point Institute a San Jose

California based Vipassana Center he

assisted in the growth of the center and

managed its financial and administrative

affairs from the 1980s to 2010 he worked

in the San Francisco Bay Area at several

networking companies as a production and

logistics

manager he then decided to join bhante

in his mission to bring Twi em to the

world in 2010 and moved to Missouri on a

permanent basis in 2015 he wrote using

Vontae Vinnie larom she's introductory

talks and meditator experiences the

recent instruction book a guide to

tranquil wisdom meditation his current

duties at Dhamma sukha include serving

as Secretary Treasurer and board member

guiding monthly online retreats since

2015 and now on-site retreats managing

the retreat center maintaining the

website and social media accounts

producing books publishing all bonta's

recent books producing videos producing

all footage of bhante found on the

website and on YouTube you can directly

get in touch with david at david at

Dhamma sukha dot org and reach him

through the Dhamma sukha website

resources Dhamma sukha Meditation Center

website link match jiminy car translated

by bhikkhu bodhi Somerville MA wisdom

publications 1995 Kraft Doug Buddha's

map his original teachings on awakening

is and insight in the heart of

meditation Grass Valley CA Blue Dolphin

publishing 2013 vim alarum she ponte the

anapanasati sutter a practical guide to

mindfulness of breathing and tranquil

wisdom meditation Carmel and why

Buddhist Association of the USA 2006 vim

alarum she Ponte meditation is life life

is meditation

Annapolis MO Dhamma sukha 2014 vim

alarum she want a breath of love jakarta

indonesia

fe pass eco foundation 2012 vim alarum

she ponte moving Dharma vol 1 Annapolis

mo Dhamma sukha 2012 vim alarum she

Ponte a guide tranquil wisdom meditation

Twi M Annapolis mo Dhamma sukha 2016

orders available from most online

bookstores

local bookstores can order it for you

Book Depository will ship books anywhere

in the world for free

www.dghongming.weebly.com

- forgiveness meditation an effective

method to dissolve blocks -

loving-kindness and living in the

present

bhante Vimy larum she introduction the

Buddha was a meditation teacher he

taught meditation for forty five years

after he became fully awakened when you

study and practice meditation you will

not be entirely successful until you

master the definitions and interwove in

nature of two words meditation and

mindfulness I can give you the

definitions but then you must experience

for yourself how these two work together

in the Buddhist teachings meditation

means observing the movement of minds

attention moment to moment in order to

see clearly how the Linx dependent

origination actually work mindfulness

means remembering to observe how a

mind's attention moves from one thing to

another this use of mindfulness actually

causes mind to become sharper as you go

as you experience more subtle states of

mind it isn't hard to see why you must

develop this precise mindfulness to keep

the meditation going smoothly many

people practice loving-kindness

meditation but according to a few people

the power of it doesn't seem to change

much for them in the daily lives if it

doesn't take off quite right in the

beginning we might run into a difficulty

with this practice and it can be like

hitting a wall it's good to know that

there is the key to the solution for

developing better in our daily

activities that solution is learning to

smile as much as you can remember

apparently in some cases if we do get

into trouble we can clear the runway for

our mindfulness of loving-kindness to

take off by first learning to use

mindfulness of forgiveness meditation

this is an extremely powerful in

cleansing practice forgiveness is a form

of loving-kindness that really clears

our mind of negative or unwholesome

states the reason this book came into

being is because of the many questions

teachers are asked about why doesn't my

matter arise easily it is because we

need to forgive ourselves first before

we can send our pure love to others

chapter one preparation at times there

can be confusion about how to

effectively practice this mindfulness of

forgiveness meditation so this booklet

is dedicated only to this meditation on

forgiveness so you can begin the

practice with a clear goal and better

understanding when people are practicing

loving-kindness meditation you might run

into a barrier as you try to send out

loving-kindness to yourself and to

others if this happens after a few days

and you are not successful in feeling

the Metta any retreat it may be

suggested for you to take a step back

and start doing the forgiveness

meditation to overcome these blocks

after all we cannot sincerely send

loving kindness and forgiveness to

someone else when we do not have it for

ourselves this practice is not just used

for a person pursuing loving kindness

and compassion meditation any person can

make the commitment to clean house by

doing this forgiveness work after this

is done for the first time one feels

many years younger because oftentimes

the great weight has been lifted off

your heart and mind some people have the

idea that this meditation is a

completely different kind of meditation

from the loving-kindness meditation that

is not so it should be made clear from

the beginning that the forgiveness

meditation is not outside of the

development of loving-kindness and is a

part of Metta for anyone who has

difficulty in feeling loving-kindness

this can be the first step it creates a

firm bridge between heart and mind that

is then used to help all other kinds of

meditations succeed it is a cleansing

for the heart another opening of the

heart we can add to our initial practice

of generosity in truth this meditation

is probably the most powerful meditation

that I know it can clear away mental

blocks that pop up from old attachments

that dislikes towards various people or

events that happen to you in your past

life experiences if you follow

directions closely and you are patient

when you practice then pain and

suffering will gradually dissolve any

hard-heartedness you still carry in your

mind about past life wounds when you

practice forgiveness meditation all of

the basic rules will remain the same you

still sit in a reasonably quiet space to

do this work be sure you are wearing

loose comfortable clothing sit in a

comfortable position on the floor or in

a chair if you do use a chair don't lean

into the back of the chair

sit with your spine nicely straight but

not tightly erect sit in a position that

does not bring up physical pain in

general for you you should follow the

basics of practicing right effort using

tranquil wisdom inside meditation tea

wim and the six rupees for your

meditation cycle to accomplish your goal

when you practice sit for a minimum of

thirty minutes each time sit longer if

things are going smoothly and you of the

time at whatever time you decide to

break your sitting stand up slowly keep

your observation going as you stand up

stretch slowly if desired while you are

sitting do not move at all don't wiggle

your toes don't scratch if your body

needs to cough or sneeze do not hold

this in just sneeze a cough keep some

tissues close by for any tears that

might arise if tears de fall then let

them come that is what you have holes in

your wallets for so let the tears come

out this releases pressure consider this

the cleansing time before you take up

any other primary meditations while

practicing forgiveness meditation please

use only these meditation instructions

and put all other meditation

instructions aside until you have

completed the work this just means that

we don't want to confuse mind so don't

mix up the recipe we want only the

information needed to do this practice

chapter 2 instructions the way you start

practicing forgiveness meditation is by

forgiving yourself there are different

kinds of statements that you can use for

this to help bring up any old grudges

and hard-heartedness

locked inside you you may pick one

statement to begin and then you stay

with that statement for a period of time

to give it a chance to settle in and you

and see what comes up

the first suggested phrase is I forgive

myself for not understanding everybody

has misunderstandings that happen in the

life nobody is exempt from this fact

while you are sitting you repeat the

phrase I forgive myself for not

understanding after you've done that you

put that feeling into your heart and

stay with that feeling of forgiveness

when that feeling fades away or the mind

gets distracted then you come back and

forgive yourself for not understanding

again if you are familiar with the

6-hour process you should 6 are any

distractions arise the appendix has a

large section on how you practice the 6

rupees for those familiar with the

Jonah's and have meditated before it is

necessarily to not go higher than the

first jhana you can't mentally verbalize

beyond that say your phrases for

forgiveness please make a determination

to not go any deeper this is an active

contemplative process that we are doing

now while you're doing this your mind is

going to have some resistance to this

meditation your mind is going to take

off and say well this is stupid I

shouldn't be doing this reactions like

these are part of your attachments these

are the obstacles that we must dissolve

stay with your statement and repeat I

forgive myself for not understanding

then your mind might say our I don't

need to do this anymore this meditation

doesn't work every thought that pulls

you away from forgiving yourself for not

understanding is an attachment and has

to be let go and the tension and

tightness in the detachment must be

relaxed away this is where you use the

six R's you learned with your basic

Metta meditation practice

the six ARS are recognized release

greater than relax re smile return

repeat that is the entire cycle you

recognize that mind is distracted you

release the distraction by not keeping

your attention on it you relax the

tightness in your head and heart and you

re smile and then you softly come back

to the statement and you stay with a

statement for as long as you can if you

are distracted again you repeat the

process it doesn't matter how many times

your mind gets distracted one thing that

many people get caught with is getting

wrapped up in the story about things and

this can cause lots of pain and

suffering along with some frustration

the six R's will help you to see how

strong the attachments are and it shows

the way to overcome the suffering they

cause recognize it let it be

relaxed smile come back and stay with a

feeling of forgiveness for as long as

you can

sitting should be followed by walking

practice if you are going to continue

sitting again or you are going to return

to a task in daily life before you do

take a stroll at a normal pace to keep

your blood flowing nicely walk for about

15 minutes minimum in some fresh air 45

minutes is a good maximum time for

walking if you are working in a

restricted space setting find a space

that is level and at least 30 feet long

in length walk back and forth and

mentally keep your meditation going

faster ask when you walk you want to

walk in a way that you repeat the

phrases with each stride as you walk

like this with the left foot take a step

and mentally say I then a right step

forgive and left you then again but say

you on the right step and then left step

forgive right step me and repeat back

and forth you can experiment and see

what works it can get into a nice

cadence but all the while it is really

getting it into your noggin to forgive I

forgive you you forgive me and keep

smiling when you are doing this and six

are anything or anyone who comes up stay

with E

walking I used to go for six to eight

mile walks in Hawaii doing just this

practice the idea of sitting and walking

is to create a continuous flow of

meditation without stopping this proves

you can keep the meditation with you all

the time in life while walking at this

normal pace continue doing the

forgiveness meditation with your eyes

looking down towards the ground about

six or seven feet in front of you do not

look around

keep on gently forgiving keep smiling

all the time

chapter three attachments one mistake

that an awful lot of people make is they

say well meditation is just for sitting

the rest of the time I don't have

anything else to do so I can let my mind

act like it always does this is a

mistake we need to consider the idea

that meditation is life and life is

meditation you want to realize that you

have attachments in your daily life and

just because you are not sitting doesn't

mean those attachments aren't there the

whole point in doing the meditation is

for personality development it's for

letting go of old habitual suffering

bhava and in place of this developing a

mind that has equanimity in it the more

resistance your mind has in doing this

the more you need to do it because the

resistance is your mind showing you

where your attachment is and that is the

cause of suffering this meditation works

better than anything that I know of for

letting go of attachments letting go and

relaxing of elde hard-hearted feelings

bhava letting go of the way you think

the world is supposed to be so you can

start accepting the way the world

actually is

your mind might say well I don't like

that I don't like the way they said this

or that ask yourself now who doesn't

like it who is judging and condemning

who is making up a story who is caught

by their attachment well I am it might

be helpful here to give a definition of

attachment an attachment is anything we

take personally any thought any feeling

any sensation when we think these

thoughts of feelings are mine this is me

this is who I am at that point mine has

become attached and this causes craving

to arise in your mind and body craving

always manifests as a tension of

tightness in both mind and body craving

is the I like it I don't like it

mind which arises in everyone's mind

body process attachment is another word

for craving and is the start of all

suffering when we see that everything

that arises is part of an impersonal

process then we begin to understand what

it is like to see things with a clear

observant mind somebody might say

something very innocently and you hear

it through your attachment and it's

negative this is why we have to learn

how to become aware of what is happening

all the time in our daily lives when you

get finished sitting in your meditation

for 30 minutes 45 minutes or for an hour

and you start walking around what does

your mind do it takes off just like it

always does it thinks about this it

thinks about that this is just nonsense

thoughts most of us think those thoughts

and those feelings that arise are as

personally that they're not just random

things but in truth if you feed any kind

of a thought of feeling with your

attention you make it bigger and more

intense when you realize that you are

causing your own suffering you have to

forgive yourself for doing that this

means saying I forgive myself for not

understanding I forgive myself

completely of course your mind is going

take off again and say ah this is stupid

this is nothing this isn't real this

isn't what is actually happening I don't

want to do this every one of those

thoughts is an attachment isn't it every

one of those thoughts has craving in it

doesn't it every one of those thoughts

is causing you suffering right because

of this you have to recognize that you

were doing this to yourself and let go

of those thoughts that's just nonsense

stuff anyway it doesn't have anything to

do with what you are doing and where you

are right now

once you know this you forgive yourself

for not understanding the causing

yourself pain for causing other people

pain you really forgive take a look at

when you are walking from here to there

what are you doing with your mind ho-hum

thinking about this and I got to do that

and I have to go talk to that person and

I have to do this all of that nonsense

now this doesn't mean that you can't

plan what you need to do next

you can but just do that planning one

time as your primary topic in the

present moment after you make up your

mind what the plan is you don't have to

think about it anymore repeating it

rolling it around again all of that is

just part of your old habitual tendency

bhava in Pali it is your old conditioned

thoughts and feelings and taking them

personally and causing yourself pain and

suffering

chapter 4 daily practice including the

exercise of forgiveness in your daily

activity is by far the most important

part of this meditation you forgive

yourself continually for not

understanding forgetting caught up in to

say that for taking things personally

how many times have you found yourself

doing this hey I don't like the way you

said that

ask yourself who doesn't like what well

you said something that was hurtful to

whom you need to stop and realize that

you're taking all this stuff personally

and it's not really personal it's just

stuff that happens forgive it forgive it

even when you're walking along a road

and you happen to kick a rock and it

hurts forgive the pain for being there

your job is to keep your mind forgiving

all the time that's what mindfulness of

forgiveness meditation practice is all

about the technique is not just about

when you are sitting this is a life

practice this is an all the time

practice if you want to really begin to

change you have to be willing to go

through the forgiveness sincerely

because it will help you change a lot

you have to have patience and it helps

to have a sense of humor about just how

dumb mind can be the more you smile and

laugh the easy of the meditation becomes

chapter 5 finding balance whenever you

personally continue to think about this

and that to judge this and condemn that

you are constantly causing yourself

suffering you don't need to do that you

want to argue with other people about

your attachments what's the point when

you really start practicing forgiveness

for yourself or forgiveness for another

person your mind starts to get into

balance and your sense of humor begins

to change this is equanimity then you

don't take thoughts feelings and

sensations and all this other stuff

personally when you practice in this way

you are seeing life for what it isn't

allowing it to be there it's not worth

going over it in your mind and over it

and over it and over it it's not worth

it it's a waste of time it's a waste of

effort every time you have a repeated

thought you are attached you are

identifying with that thought and you're

taking it personally and that is again

the cause of suffering what you see here

is the second noble truth you are

witnessing how craving taking it

personally is the cause of suffering and

you can't blame anybody else for it it's

yours you are doing it all to yourself

well they said this so what others may

have their opinion that doesn't mean I

have to listen to them I don't have to

take it in personally and analyze

whether it's correct or not because it

doesn't matter the more you forgive in

your daily life and daily activities the

easier it is to forgive the big things

that happened in the past

Chapter six persistence when you are

doing the forgiveness meditation while

you're sitting you're staying with one

of the suggested statements you stay

with that one statement until you

internally feel yes I really do forgive

myself for not understanding it's

important to work this through to really

forgive can take a while it's not just

some quick fix to do in one sitting and

then you come in and say okay now I'm

done or you say I've already done that

doing that is not where you're going to

get real change nope you still have your

attachments there you still have to

continually forgive yourself for not

understanding forgive yourself for

making a mistake that is what not

understanding is about you have to

forgive yourself for judging for

condemning for analyzing for thinking

for getting angry forgive everything all

of the time when I started to do the

forgiveness meditation which I did

personally for myself for two years

because I wanted to make sure why I

really understood this meditation I went

through major changes there were major

changes major personality changes if you

want that for yourself you have to have

the kind of patience this idea of well

I've already forgiven this person or

that person that simply isn't it a

little later on you figure out that you

are talking about how you didn't like

this so that from them art guess what

who hasn't finished their forgiveness

meditation you haven't forgiven yourself

or that other person

Chapter seven going deeper when you

start to go deeper in your meditation

staying with the forgiveness and you do

forgive yourself for making mistakes

there can come a time when somebody

comes up into your mind that you need to

forgive when this happens you realize

that you did not ask them to come up you

do not stop and say well I need this

person to come up they came up by

themselves as soon as that person comes

up you start forgiving them for not

understanding it doesn't matter what

they did any past all of your thoughts

all of your opinions of what they did in

the past just keep bringing up more

suffering these thoughts come up because

of your attachment I didn't like that I

didn't want that to happen they are a

dirty no-good so-and-so because they did

that to me can you guess where the

attachment is guess where the idea comes

from that I can blame somebody else for

my own suffering the only person you can

blame for your suffering is yourself

why because you are the one that took it

personally you're the one who had an

opinion about it you're the one that

used your habitual tendencies over and

over again to justify the idea that I'm

right and you're wrong that's how we

caused our own suffering the forgiveness

meditation helps you let go of that

opinion that idea that attachment and

feel some relief because some past

person did or said something that caused

anger resentment jealousy pain or

whatever the catch of the day was it can

have a real tendency for your mind to

get caught up in thinking about that

past event this is called getting caught

by the story you need to use the six

hours and then go back to your

forgiveness statement it doesn't matter

how many times the story arises please

use the six hours and then forgive again

the story's emotion will fade away after

you do this enough this is where

patience is needed

chap teat letting go when you see

someone else come up in your mind

somebody you really had a rough time

with and you didn't like hit someone you

started hating for whatever reason you

forgive them with your mind's eye you

look them straight in their art and you

tell them sincerely I forgive you for

not understanding the situation I

forgive you for causing me pain I

forgive you completely now keep the

person in your heart and radiates

forgiveness to them if your mind has a

distraction and it pulls you away for

that you might hear in your mind no I

don't that no-good so-and-so

I won't forgive him using the six R's

let go of this and come back and say I

do forgive you

it has to be sincere well I'm not going

to forgive the dirty no-good so-and-so

why not because they caused their me

suffering oops

who caused his suffering you caused your

own self suffering because you took it

personally and you reinforced that with

a lot of thoughts and opinions and ideas

about why that was wrong in other words

you were caught in your craving your own

clinging your habitual tendencies and

that leads to more and more

dissatisfaction aversion pain and

suffering

chapter nine relief it's really

important to realize that this is not an

easy practice it's hard to forgive

someone when they have really caused you

harm take a woman that has been raped or

a man who has been beaten and robbed

it's hard to forgive thee person who

raped the mo beat them because they have

been violated but holding on to the

hatred of that person is keeping them

attached it doesn't matter what the

action was it doesn't matter what

happened in the past what matters is

what you are doing with what you have in

your mind right now to completely

develop this practice to the highest

level means that you keep forgiving and

forgiving over and over with your mind's

eye you look them straight in the eye

and you say I really do forgive you and

your mind says no I don't and you let

that go and six up and come back you say

I really do forgive you then you take

that person in put them into your heart

and continue to radiate forgiveness to

them how long do you do that as long as

it takes for some attachment one or two

sittings is all you'll need some other

attachments might take a week might take

two weeks or even longer who knows it

doesn't matter if you need time you can

take time you have all the time there is

you will feel a very very strong sense

of relief when you let go of the hatred

you have towards these people then

anytime you think of them you kind of

think of them with her mind that says

well they made a mistake they didn't

know what they were doing it's okay

that's how you let go of an attachment

craving that's how you let go of the

pain of that past situation this doesn't

mean that the person who was violated is

going to go up and hug the person who

did that to them they would avoid them

because they know there is a possibility

of personal harm but they don't hate

them anymore they don't think about it

anymore they have let it go that's what

the forgiveness is all about it's about

letting go you are giving up hell

dissatisfaction and dislike you are

developing a mind that says well that's

okay you can be like that that is not

taking it personally chapter 10

obstacles the biggest part of the

mindfulness of forgiveness meditation is

learning how to let go of your personal

opinions ideas concepts stories you

might stay with a person for a long

period of time because of your opinions

and your attachment to this every time

you're doing any walking a sitting

meditation keep forgiving them over and

over again your mind might get bored

with that and say oh I don't want to do

this anymore

well that's another kind of attachment

isn't it so what do you do with that you

have to get through it by forgiving the

boredom for being there that's okay your

mind is tricky it's going to try to

distract you any way it can it'll bring

up any kind of feelings and thoughts and

ideas to distract you because it doesn't

like the idea of giving up attachments

your mind really feels comfortable

holding on to attachments we need to go

easy on ourselves as we develop this

practice after all how many years did it

take us to build our power habits bhava

it takes patience to move in the

opposite direction now and to change

those unwholesome mind States into new

wholesome tendencies be kind to yourself

and take your time the whole point of

the meditation is learning how to change

learning how to let go of those old

nonsense ideas and thoughts and develop

new ideas and thoughts that make you

happy and make other people around you

happy too that's the whole reason for

the precepts they outline an option for

us to follow

so we gain balance in our life let's

take a quick look at the precepts to not

kill any living beings on purpose don't

take what is not freely given to you no

stealing don't engage in wrong sexual

activity with another person's mate or a

person too young living with the parents

in short don't do anything that will

cause mental a physical harm to any

other human being

don't engage in telling lies using harsh

language gossip or slander lasting don't

take recreational drugs or alcohol

because these will weaken mind and the

tendency to break the other precepts is

stronger these precepts are like an

ultimate operational manual for life if

you keep them well then you get the most

out of your life they make you and

others around you happy the more you can

continually follow them the better your

frame of mind will become you will more

easily forgive that other person your

mind will become softer towards that

person and you will feel more relief

what happens is after you practice this

way for a while then you go hard I do I

really do forgive you and there's no

energy behind it at all it's just like

yeah this happened it's in the past it's

no big deal this is what forgiveness is

all about

chapter 11 daily life how can this

practice affect your daily life this is

a good question

you're more open you're more accepting

you're not judging you are not

condemning you are not disliking because

as you see the tightness of mind coming

up in you and you go oops I forgive you

for not understanding this one and you

smile you let it go one of the hardest

things a guiding teacher has to do is to

teach people that life is supposed to be

fun it's a game keep it light if you

play with your mind and your attachments

that means you are not being attached to

them so much as you play with em you're

not taking them so seriously anymore

when you don't take them seriously

they're easier to let go of that's what

the buddha was teaching us he was

teaching us how to have an uplifted mind

all of the time how to be able to be

light with your thoughts with your

feelings and your wide ears in your past

actions yes it's true on some occasion

you made a mistake

well okay welcome to the human race I

don't know of anyone who hasn't made a

mistake and felt guilty about it sure

they do and what is that guilt non

forgiveness that's an example of your

mind grabbing on to what's happening and

saying I really screwed up and I need to

punish myself for that that's what your

mind is saying now don't you see what

you can do about this right the more you

become serious with your daily life the

more attachments you will have the less

equanimity the less mental balance you

will have in your life there is no

question about it you're on these

rollercoasters emotional roller coasters

up and down up and down up and down when

you start forgiving more those high

highs and low lows start to turn into

little waves you still have some but you

don't get caught for as long you just

stop and say it this just isn't

important enough to get upset

about chapter 12 success after you

forgive that person you stay with em you

stay with that person that's come up

into your mind until you feel like

enough I don't have to do this anymore

I really have forgiven you at that point

with your mind's eye you look them

straight in the eye and you stop

verbalizing and you hear them say back

to you I forgive you too Wow now this is

different isn't it it's kind of

remarkable you have this feeling of

being forgiven as well as you forgiving

them you've forgiven yourself for making

mistakes for not understanding you've

forgiven that other person for making

mistakes for not understanding or

causing pain whatever you want using the

statement that really makes it true for

you and now you hear them say I forgive

you there is a real sense of relief Wow

what happens in your mind now is the joy

comes up in your mind you feel light you

feel really happy happier than you ever

felt before you didn't realize you were

carrying these big bundles of rocks on

your shoulders holding you down did you

and now you have put them down when you

forgive the heaviness of those hard

feelings and rocks disappear you feel

light

oh my this really is great stuff it

takes a lot of work but it's worth it

it's not easy why isn't it easy because

of the amount of attachment we have when

we begin you keep doing the meditation

and when you get done with one person

you go back to yourself you repeat I

forgive myself for making mistakes I

forgive myself for not understanding you

stay with yourself until somebody else

comes up into your mind you keep on

doing that until your mind says okay

I've done it everything is good there's

nobody else enough at this time you can

switch back to your mindfulness of

loving-kindness meditation and make at

your primary formal

practice now you can understand why

mindfulness of forgiveness meditation is

definitely part of loving-kindness how

can you ever practice loving-kindness if

you have hatred you can't

this practice releases the hatred

chapter 13 not easy this practice has no

simple easy fast fix here you can't just

buy the solution this time at the mall

either you have to patiently continue

this practice all the time until you

release the unwholesome mind States

which Lee or old habitual tendencies of

mind depending on how attached humor to

the idea that a person wronged you or

the idea of how badly you screwed up

this leads you into I can never forgive

myself until you finally go through this

process of forgiveness you will not be

free of this burden you will know when

you have gone entirely through the

mindfulness of forgiveness meditation

because then you'll be free and you will

see clearly this is how forgiveness

really works are you done you don't have

to have anybody to tell you that this

worked you'll know the daily continuous

work of this practice is most important

when you are walking from one place to

another I don't care what you are doing

any kind of distraction that comes up

forgive it smile if a person comes up to

you and they start talking and you don't

want to talk forgive them they don't

understand they don't understand what

you are doing it's okay but they don't

understand

it's okay that they don't know where you

are or what you are doing they can judge

you they can condemn you they can cause

all kinds of distractions and that's

fine they can do that but as for you you

can forgive them for it as you forgive

them you were letting go of the

attachment to the way I think things are

supposed to be not understanding can be

a really big thing because we don't

understand so much we have our own

opinions and ideas of the way things are

supposed to work that can be a problem

we get caught up by assumption that's it

isn't it

what happens when things don't match

your idea of the way things are supposed

to work what then you may find yourself

fighting with reality which is the truth

the Dharma of the present moment you're

not accepting the reality that's right

there in front of you you begin judging

and condemning and most often blaming

somebody else for disturbing you well

I'm sorry they're not disturbing your

practice they're part of the practice

there's no such thing as something else

or someone else disturbing my practice

it's only me fighting with what is real

at the reality the Dharma of the present

moment not liking this of that and next

I'm blaming somebody else are are

something else for the cause of that

chapter 14 forgive it what about sounds

disturbing us while we practice

sometimes in a retreat if you are

concentrating too hard you can observe

what can happen you could get so upset

if there is even one squeak of a door as

someone is walking by too heavily near

you are breathing too loudly you might

jump up thinking ho you disturbed my

practice do you begin to see how

ridiculous this actually is what is

happening here is that the present

moment produced a noise and there was

noise and then mine came up and said I

don't like this that's not supposed to

be that I want to complain to somebody

and make them stop so my mind can be

peaceful what is actually happening his

concentration is out of balance with

mindfulness concentration is too strong

and mindfulness is do weak ha ha ha ha

how crazy is that if you can't accept

what's happening in the present moment

with a balanced mind there will be

suffering ok so there's a noise there's

somebody talking so it doesn't matter

just as long as you have mindfulness and

equanimity in your mind when balance is

in your mind if there is a noise that's

just fine and you can do your

forgiveness meditation

while I was in Asia on a three-month

retreat there was a water well pump that

was drilling for water right outside of

the meditation hall three months of an

old clanky motor running from 8 o'clock

in the morning until 6 o'clock at night

this can happen you know one continuous

noise it was really loud and really

annoying but it was just sound that's

all it was I realized that it was not my

it sound my dislike of that sound wasn't

going to change that sound my

criticizing of the person that started

the motor wasn't going to make that

sound any different do you see where all

the attachments are in this example the

exercise here is accepting the fact that

sound is here at and it's ok for sound

to be here it has to be ok because

that's what's in the present moment

that's the truth Dharma accepting the

present moment is accepting the Dharma

just as it is whenever there is a

disturbance forgive the disturbance

continually in your mind

forgive smile forgive yourself for not

understanding that is how we work with

forgiveness in daily life I forgive

myself for wanting things to be more

perfect than they are I forgive myself

for making mistakes I forgive myself for

being angry and disliking this or that

now we see that the forgiveness is not

just one statement it can be many we

take each of these statements into the

practice and use them one by one

chapter 15 their mantras while you're

doing your sitting practice once again

you just want to take one statement of

forgiveness at a time stay with just one

remember that this is not a mantra you

don't surface say this and think about

something else either it has to be

sincere

I really do forgive myself for making

mistakes or for not understanding or

whatever it's important to be sincere

when you do this the more you can

continually forgive with your daily

activities with your sitting with your

walking meditation whatever you happen

to be doing you need to realize that

this is what meditation is really about

meditation is not about gaining some

superhuman state of mind it's not just

about bliss it is more productive than

that it's about learning how you cause

your own suffering and how to let go of

that suffering the deeper superhuman

states of meditation will come up by

themselves when we clear our minds and

simply allow this to happen you don't

have to personally do anything the more

you clear yourself the more you clear

your mind of judgments opinions concepts

ideas and the more you accept what's

happening in the present moment the more

joyful life becomes the easier life

becomes what that you are saying now

well I have this habit of always

analyzing and thinking okay let it go

but I have been doing this my whole life

so hey forgive yourself for not

understanding forgive yourself for

analyzing there can be a strong

attachment to wanting to analyze that's

the Western disease I want to know how

everything works you don't learn how

things work by thinking about them you

let go and relax to see how things work

when you forgive and you let go and

relax to develop space in your mind

observe how they work

the truth is that in meditation thinking

mind analyzing mind is incredibly slow

the aware mind is incredibly fast it's

extraordinary

you just can't get there with a lot of

words in the way you can't have opinions

in the way they will block you they will

stop you from seeing the way things

truly are chapter 16 blame game your

forgiveness meditation is more than just

about old attachments like well when I

was five years old

little Johnny he beat me up and I've

hated him ever since then see how this

is about you and uncovering this

attachment and how you hold on to it and

how you cause yourself pain because of

that attachment most especially these

days people are really big on blaming

everybody about themselves for the pain

and the question here should be is that

working with reality or not it's easy to

say you caused me pain I don't like you

but did someone else caused you pain or

did I just say something and you had

another kind of an opinion and judged

and condemned whatever I said and then

your aversion came up and the dislike of

the whole situation and now you're off

to the races

and you're a thousand miles away you are

causing yourself pain and you're running

into you're thinking but I'm only

thinking and analyzing hah hah hah hah

hah you're attached you think this

attachment won't hurt me so much if I

keep distracted I can keep my opinions

and my ideas about the way things are

supposed to be and then I don't have to

change but you're fooling yourself

change is the only way to free mind

meditation is about positive change

chapter 17 be happy in summary Buddhism

is about realizing that you need to have

a balanced a mindful mind that doesn't

have high emotions in it that doesn't

have attachments in it so that you can

see things clearly and discover real

happiness and contentment in daily life

Buddhism is about seeing the way things

truly are gaining knowledge by seeing

for yourself how you are the cause of

your own pain it's about taking personal

responsibility and doing the work needed

to find this kind of mindfulness balance

and understanding mindfulness of

forgiveness meditation trains us to

recognize clearly when suffering arises

first noble truth to notice how we get

personally involved with it and make it

bigger which causes more suffering in

life second noble truth and to escape

this dangerous trap by using the six R's

and seeing how it disappears third noble

truth this meditation opens the way for

clearer understanding and relief fourth

noble truth

the end result creates the space we need

in our mind so that we begin to respond

to life instead of reacting using the

six R's which fulfills the practice of

right effort found in the early texts

using it with any meditation you are

doing this is one of the fastest ways

for all people to see clearly what is

really going on and to reach this kind

of destination where there can be

happiness and peace in sutter number 21

of the match Dominica as translated by

bhikkhu bodhi within the middle length

sayings and published by wisdom

publications it gives us some excellent

advice that I would like to share with

you now it says there are these five

courses of speech that others may use

when they address you the speech may be

timely or untimely true or untrue gentle

the harsh connected with good are

connected with harm spoken with a mind

of loving-kindness or with inner hatred

this is how I should train my mind shall

be unaffected and I will after no evil

words I shall abide compassionate for

the welfare with a mind of

loving-kindness without inner hate I

shall abide pervading that person

whoever you talk with with a mind imbued

with loving kindness and forgiveness and

starting with him I shall abide

pervading the all-encompassing world

with a mind imbued with loving kindness

abundant exalted immeasurable without

hostility and without ill-will that is

how I should train please use this

forgiveness meditation often and train

your mind to be happy

you