Upāsaka Cattasallā (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cattasalla) wrote2019-01-30 11:40 am
cattasalla) wrote2019-01-30 11:40 am
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a few things from the gradual training
The Gradual Training is a sequence of practices found in a variety of places in the canon (as summarized in this handy chart). It essentially lays out the path for a person going from first hearing the Dhamma to reaching complete liberation. It's intended as a roadmap for monastics, but I think as worldly people we can still gain a few things from it.
The sequence starts out with a Buddha arising in the world, declaring the Dhamma, and the person who goes to train hearing it and being inspired with faith, and deciding to commit to the practice. Bhikkhu Sujato translates the next thing they do thus (from DN2):
The next several paragraphs is spent unpacking that paragraph.
First, there's the ethical training. It starts with the Five Precepts, but then goes into great elaborate detail about all kinds of things that are forbidden to monastics, including games and any sort of entertainment, divination, and even making a living by doing calculations (which, as a scientist, presents a roadblock for me!). Clearly, as non-monastics, we can do just fine by being fastidious about the Five Precepts (and maybe every so often doing the Eight). And it's to be remembered that these are also exercises in expanding awareness: If you break the precept, or are moved to do so, be aware of what the motivations and intentions are behind that action. Be aware of how it feels to commit the action. Consider the consequences ("seeing danger in the slightest flaw").
Next comes "guarding the sense doors". This is also an exercise in awareness. The instruction is simply "When a noble disciple sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details." These "features and details" mean things that are going to awaken unskilled qualities of desire and aversion. That is, if responses to the sensory stimulation, to the object perceived, trigger unskilled states, then be aware of that. Keep centered in awareness and do not be pushed around by them.
"Mindfulness and situational awareness", satisampajañña, is usually translated as "mindfulness" and "clear comprehension". With "mindfulness" now a multibillion dollar industry referring to a variety of things and primarily oriented towards stress relief, my preference is to avoid the term. It has gained a high degree of cultural baggage and can lead to misunderstanding. Bhikkhu Bodhi suggests translating sati as "lucid awareness". It means being aware, being present to your experience without getting caught up in it. Note that it does not mean "choiceless awareness", as is often reported. There is a mode of cultivation of sati that involves a "choiceless awareness", i.e., just being aware of whatever comes up and not directing the flow of experience in any way, but (outside of certain specific "dry insight" meditation systems or perhaps something like shikentaza), that is more of an introductory instruction for beginners, and as one becomes more established, attention is directed in particular ways, to particular objects.
"Situational awareness" or "clear comprehension" (sampajañña) almost always comes along with sati. It adds a bit of context and understanding to the awareness. So you're not simply aware, but you are aware of something.
The specific instruction is:
Note that these are given as preliminary practices, before engaging in formal meditation! Traditionally, the practitioner is expected to cultivate virtue and begin bringing awareness to one's own reactions to sensory phenomena and to one's daily activities before the formal practice of meditation begins. The formal meditation practice was never the starting point, but came after other preparatory exercises that ready the mind for the deeper work.
The final of these preliminary practices is cultivating contentment with what one already has. This is a great support for "renunciation", and helps quiet desire.
So now the formal meditation begins. (Note that the phrase Ven. Sujato translates as "establish mindfulness right there" is actually one whose correct translation is hotly debated, with some interpreting the specific Pāli words as referring exclusively to being aware of the feeling of the breath through the nose on the upper lip.)
But I've written enough for now, and maybe I'll get to that in some future post.
The sequence starts out with a Buddha arising in the world, declaring the Dhamma, and the person who goes to train hearing it and being inspired with faith, and deciding to commit to the practice. Bhikkhu Sujato translates the next thing they do thus (from DN2):
Once they’ve gone forth, they live restrained in the monastic code, with appropriate behavior and means of collecting alms. Seeing danger in the slightest flaw, they keep the rules they’ve undertaken. They act skillfully by body and speech. They’re purified in livelihood and accomplished in ethical conduct. They guard the sense doors, have mindfulness and situational awareness [satisampajañña], and are content.
The next several paragraphs is spent unpacking that paragraph.
First, there's the ethical training. It starts with the Five Precepts, but then goes into great elaborate detail about all kinds of things that are forbidden to monastics, including games and any sort of entertainment, divination, and even making a living by doing calculations (which, as a scientist, presents a roadblock for me!). Clearly, as non-monastics, we can do just fine by being fastidious about the Five Precepts (and maybe every so often doing the Eight). And it's to be remembered that these are also exercises in expanding awareness: If you break the precept, or are moved to do so, be aware of what the motivations and intentions are behind that action. Be aware of how it feels to commit the action. Consider the consequences ("seeing danger in the slightest flaw").
Next comes "guarding the sense doors". This is also an exercise in awareness. The instruction is simply "When a noble disciple sees a sight with their eyes, they don’t get caught up in the features and details." These "features and details" mean things that are going to awaken unskilled qualities of desire and aversion. That is, if responses to the sensory stimulation, to the object perceived, trigger unskilled states, then be aware of that. Keep centered in awareness and do not be pushed around by them.
"Mindfulness and situational awareness", satisampajañña, is usually translated as "mindfulness" and "clear comprehension". With "mindfulness" now a multibillion dollar industry referring to a variety of things and primarily oriented towards stress relief, my preference is to avoid the term. It has gained a high degree of cultural baggage and can lead to misunderstanding. Bhikkhu Bodhi suggests translating sati as "lucid awareness". It means being aware, being present to your experience without getting caught up in it. Note that it does not mean "choiceless awareness", as is often reported. There is a mode of cultivation of sati that involves a "choiceless awareness", i.e., just being aware of whatever comes up and not directing the flow of experience in any way, but (outside of certain specific "dry insight" meditation systems or perhaps something like shikentaza), that is more of an introductory instruction for beginners, and as one becomes more established, attention is directed in particular ways, to particular objects.
"Situational awareness" or "clear comprehension" (sampajañña) almost always comes along with sati. It adds a bit of context and understanding to the awareness. So you're not simply aware, but you are aware of something.
The specific instruction is:
It’s when a mendicant acts with situational awareness when going out and coming back; when looking ahead and aside; when bending and extending the limbs; when bearing the outer robe, bowl and robes; when eating, drinking, chewing, and tasting; when urinating and defecating; when walking, standing, sitting, sleeping, waking, speaking, and keeping silent.
Note that these are given as preliminary practices, before engaging in formal meditation! Traditionally, the practitioner is expected to cultivate virtue and begin bringing awareness to one's own reactions to sensory phenomena and to one's daily activities before the formal practice of meditation begins. The formal meditation practice was never the starting point, but came after other preparatory exercises that ready the mind for the deeper work.
The final of these preliminary practices is cultivating contentment with what one already has. This is a great support for "renunciation", and helps quiet desire.
When they have this noble spectrum of ethics, this noble sense restraint, this noble mindfulness and situational awareness, and this noble contentment, they frequent a secluded lodging—a wilderness, the root of a tree, a hill, a ravine, a mountain cave, a charnel ground, a forest, the open air, a heap of straw. After the meal, they return from alms-round, sit down cross-legged with their body straight, and establish mindfulness right there.
So now the formal meditation begins. (Note that the phrase Ven. Sujato translates as "establish mindfulness right there" is actually one whose correct translation is hotly debated, with some interpreting the specific Pāli words as referring exclusively to being aware of the feeling of the breath through the nose on the upper lip.)
But I've written enough for now, and maybe I'll get to that in some future post.