In this chapter, I will explain the fundamental principles that one needs to keep in mind during the meditation practice. [1] It is important for a beginner meditator to understand that one cannot expect to gain benefit simply from walking back and forth or sitting very still without proper meditative awareness. What benefit we gain from the practice depends on the quality of mind at every moment, not the quantity of practice we undertake.
The first important principle to be aware of is that meditation must be practiced in the present moment. When we practice meditation, our mind should always be focused on the experience occurring here and now. We cannot let our mind fall into the past or skip ahead to the future. We should not think about how many more minutes are left in our practice or how many minutes we have been practicing, and so on. Our mind should always be noting the objects as they arise, not one moment into the past or future.
If we are out of touch with the present moment, we are out of touch with reality. This is why it is important to make the acknowledgement at the moment we become aware of the objects of experience, recognizing their arising, persisting and ceasing, using the mantra to create a clear awareness of each object at the moment it occurs. Only in this way can we come to understand the nature of reality in an ultimate sense.
The second important principle is that we must meditate continuously. If we practice meditation diligently for a certain period of time and then stop meditating entirely, we will slowly lose the concentration and clarity of mind that we have gained and have to work to gain it back again from the beginning. This is often a cause for frustration and disillusionment in new meditators, and so it is important to understand that meditation must be continuous to be of any benefit to one's state of mind.
We must try our best to practice continuously from one moment to the next. During our meditation, we should try to keep our mind in the present moment through the whole of the practice, using the mantra to create a clear thought from one moment to the next. When we walk, we must try our best to transfer our attention from one foot to the next without break. When we sit, we must try to keep our mind on the rising and the falling, noting each movement one after the other continuously.
Moreover, once we finish the walking meditation, we should try to maintain our awareness and acknowledgement of the present moment until we are in a sitting position, as in “bending”, “touching”, “sitting”, etc., according to the movements required to change position. Once we are sitting down, we should begin immediately contemplation of the rising and the falling of the stomach for the duration of the sitting meditation. Once we finish the sitting meditation, we should try our best to continue meditating on the present moment in our daily life, carrying on with the acknowledgement as best we can until our next meditation session.
It is said that meditation practice is like falling rain. Every moment in which we are clearly aware of reality is like one drop of rain. Though it may seem insignificant, if we are mindful from one moment to the next, clearly aware one moment after another, we can create very strong concentration and comprehensive understanding of reality, just as minuscule drops of falling rain can fill a lake or flood an entire village.
The third important principle of practice is in regards to the clear thought itself. It is not enough simply to know what we are doing, as this sort of knowing is present in non-meditators, and even animals, already. To create a truly clear awareness of the present reality, there are three qualities that we have to include in the acknowledgement. [2]
1. Effort - in order to make a proper acknowledgement of a phenomenon as it occurs, we must be energetic in our practice. We cannot merely say “rising” and “falling” and let the mind drift as it will. We have to actively send the mind to the object and keep the mind with the object as it arises, while it persists, and until it ceases, whatever object it may be. In the case of the rising and falling of the abdomen, for example, we must observe the abdomen itself, sending the mind out to each moment of rising or falling. Instead of keeping the mind in the head or at the mouth, we must send the mind out to the object, keeping our mind focused on the reality of the experience.
2. Knowledge - once we send the mind out to the object, only then will we become aware of the object, and this is the second important quality of the clear thought, that we are actually aware of the object for what it is. Rather than simply saying “rising” and “falling” while forcing our minds to focus blindly on the object, we must actually recognize the motion for what it is, from the beginning to the end. If the object is pain, then we must strive to recognize it as simply pain, seeing it for what it is; if the object is a thought, then we recognize it as a thought, and so on.
3. Acknowledgement - once we recognize the object for what it is, only then can we make a proper acknowledgement. This of course is the most important aspect of our practice, since it will allow us to train the mind in clear and accurate understanding of the object as it is. The mantra is a replacement for those distracted thoughts that lead us to extrapolate upon the object, seeing it as “good”, “bad, “me”, “mine”, etc., giving rise to speculation or judgement about the object. By using the mantra, we remind ourselves of the true nature of the object simply for what it is, as explained in the first chapter.
The final important fundamental quality of practice is the balancing of the mental faculties. It is understood in the meditation tradition that all beings have five important faculties in their minds to a greater or lesser degree, which are beneficial for spiritual development. These are:
1. Confidence
2. Effort
3. Mindfulness
4. Concentration
5. Wisdom
These five faculties are, generally speaking, of benefit to those who possess them. In order to be of greatest benefit, however, they must be properly balanced with each other. If they are not properly balanced, they can actually lead to one's detriment in certain ways. For example, one might have strong confidence but little wisdom. This can cause problems, since one will tend towards blind faith, believing things simply out of faith or a desire to believe and not because of any empirical realization of the truth. As a result, one will not bother to examine the true nature of reality, living instead according to blind faith in beliefs that may or may not be true.
Such people as this must examine their beliefs carefully in contrast with reality, in order to adjust their faith according to the wisdom that they gain from meditation, rather than compartmentalizing reality according to their beliefs. Even should one's belief be in line with reality, it will still be weak and unsteady if not augmented by true realization of the truth for oneself.
On the other hand, one might have strong wisdom but little faith, and so doubt one's path without giving it an honest chance. Such a person may refuse to suspend their disbelief long enough to make an adequate inquiry, even when a theory is explained by a respected authority, choosing to doubt and argue about lack of proof, rather than investigating for themselves.
This sort of attitude will make progress in the meditation practice difficult, due to lack of any conviction by the meditator, and thus inability to focus the mind. Such a person must make effort to see their doubt as a hindrance to honest investigation and try to give the meditation a fair chance before passing judgement.
Likewise, one might have strong effort but weak concentration, leading one's mind to become distracted often and rendering one unable to focus on anything for any length of time. Some people truly enjoy thinking or philosophizing about their lives and their problems, not realizing the terrible state of distraction and turmoil that comes from over-analyzing. Such people are unable to sit still in meditation for any length of time because their minds are too chaotic, caught up in their own mental fomentation. Such people should recognize this unpleasant state as resulting from habitual over-analyzing, not from the meditation itself, and should patiently train themselves out of this bad habit in favour of simply seeing things for what they are. Though some mental activity is unavoidable in our daily lives, we should be selective of what thoughts we give importance to, rather than turning every thought that arises into a cause for distraction.
Finally, one may have strong concentration but weak effort, which conversely makes one lazy or drowsy all the time. This state of mind will keep a meditator from observing reality, inhibiting the mind from staying with the present moment, since they find themselves lethargic, falling asleep or drifting off most of the time. Such people should practice standing or walking meditation when they are tired so as to stimulate their body and mind into a more alert state.
The fifth faculty, mindfulness, is another word for the acknowledgement or simple remembrance of an object for what it is. It is the manifestation of a balanced mind, and so it is both the means of balancing the other faculties and the outcome of balancing them at the same time. The more mindfulness we have, the better our practice will become, so we must strive both to balance the other four faculties and recognize reality for what it is at all times.
Once we have balanced the four other faculties using the faculty of mindfulness, they will work together to create a very powerful state of mind, able to see every phenomenon as simply arising and ceasing without passing any judgement on any object of awareness. At that time, the mind will be able to let go of all attachment and overcome all suffering without difficulty. Just as a strong man is easily able to bend an iron bar, when our minds are strong we will be able to bend and mould and ultimately straighten our minds. We will be able to bring our minds back to a natural state of peace and happiness, overcoming all kinds of stress and suffering.
So, this is a basic explanation of some of the fundamental qualities of meditation we need to keep in mind. To summarize:
1. We must practice in the present moment.
2. We must practice continuously.
3. We must create a clear thought, using effort, knowledge, and acknowledgement.
4. We must balance our mental faculties.
This lesson is an important addition to the actual technique of meditation. These guidelines are meant to bring greater quality to our practice and thus allow us to gain greater benefit there-from. So I sincerely hope that you are able to put these teachings to use in your own practice, and that through this you are able to find greater peace, happiness and freedom from suffering. Thank you again for your interest in learning how to meditate.
Notes:
[1] The four important qualities of meditation herein have been passed on by my teacher, Ajaan Tong Sirimangalo.
[2] These three qualities are taken from the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya (MN 10)
Yuttadhammo