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93 UTILITY of MINDFULNESS of DEATH for EFFICACIOUS BEING Wimal Hewamanage (University of Colombo) ABSTRACT Recollection of Death

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93 UTILITY of MINDFULNESS of DEATH for EFFICACIOUS BEING Wimal Hewamanage (University of Colombo) ABSTRACT Recollection of Death 《禪與人類文明研究》第 7 期（2020） International Journal for the Study of Chan Buddhism and Human Civilization Issue 7 (2020) UTILITY OF MINDFULNESS OF DEATH FOR EFFICACIOUS BEING Wimal Hewamanage (University of Colombo) ABSTRACT Recollection of death is one of the meditation subjects which comes under the ‘ten recollections’ (dasa-anussati) among the forty subjects of tranquility meditation (samatha bhāvanā). In common sense, though death is a pessimistic subject to think and talk it has indisputably availed as a meditation subject in early Buddhism and later Buddhist fraternities. This research paper discloses how it can be utilized for efficacious being and why this ominous subject selected as meditation subjects, and finally investigates its modern implication through commercial, political, social and professional careers. As a qualitative research this paper outstandingly is based on the Discourse of Second Mindfulness of Death of the Numerical Discourses of the Buddha (Aṅguttaranikāya) and other discourses in the Pali Sutta Piṭaka. In the above discourse, there are eight causes of death which should be mindful namely; snake bite, scorpion or centipede sting, stumble and fall down, food allergy, agitation three doṣas, and human or wild spirits attack. War and terrorism, accidents, infectious and noninfectious diseases, and murder are key reasons for death in contemporary world. Adherents should recollect death twice per day; day and night but that is not essential to follow very famous cross legged meditation posture. Recollection of death supports adherents to change their immortal (sassata) attitudes not only towards themselves but also towards the society associated with nationality, colour, gender etc. It overcomes individual and collective violence which runs under the name of religion, socio economics and politics. Political agenda focused on power and resource has given rise to terrorism, poverty, and insecurity all over the world. Environment is destroyed by commercialized vice without concerning its sustainability. Thus, this research paper proposes the necessity of recollection of death for efficacious being who protects himself and others. KEYWORDS Recollection of Death, Maraṇānussati, Maraṇasati, Meditation, Bhāvanā 93 《禪與人類文明研究》第 7 期（2020） International Journal for the Study of Chan Buddhism and Human Civilization Issue 7 (2020) 1. INTRODUCTION Meditation is one of the foremost admired activities among religious followers regardless of being Buddhists, Christians, and Hindus etc. with similarities and dissimilarities. Concerning Buddhists, it is more popular today than in the past precisely not only centering in attaining final liberation but also gaining a healthy and successful secular life. One who is attached to this material world doesn’t prefer much to think about death. The history of humankind does not lack evidence for seeking the way for immortality. Rig-Veda, a collection of ancient Vedic hymns has mentioned about amrita or soma, a drink that bestows immortality. The ancient Chinese Emperors attempted to discover an everlasting medicine all the way through the world by utilizing their imperial power. Ancient Babylonian legend of Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and one-third man, seeking way for immortality medicine is one more example. He, finally, found the medicine through many difficulties but it disappeared with a little short-coming. Intrinsic nature of all beings is wanting to live (jīvitukāmā), not wanting to die (amaritukāmā), desire comfort (sukhakāmā) and hate suffering (dukkhapaṭikkūlā) (Dīghanikāya Vol. II 1966, p. 330). Buddhist attempt is to understand the real nature of what is called mortality regardless of whether we like or dislike to discuss or consider. Thus, it has emphasized shortness and non-granted nature of life and it overcomes egocentric ideas. At the same time, utilization of recollection of death as a meditation subject would also be more accommodating to think Buddhism as a pessimistic religion, yet Buddhists would make use of such meditation to understand the nature of this world, and to find a way for the benefit of all living beings and creatures. 2. MINDFULNESS OF DEATH IN MEDITATION SUBJECTS Many Buddhist scholars do not much prefer to utilize the terms meditation and mind culture or mind development, according to them, more suitable translation for bhāvanā, the oldest term can be seen in both Pali and Sanskrit languages which have been utilized in early Southern and Northern Buddhist traditions. This European term ‘meditation’ covers three different things in Buddhism called mindfulness, concentration and wisdom (Conze 1972, p.16). Recollection of death or mindfulness of death is one of the meditation subjects that can be drawn on for both tranquility meditation and insight meditation. Guiding the shortness and non-granted nature of life it can be found in early Buddhist discourses and later Buddhist accounts as well. The Visuddhimagga shows the standard list of about 40 meditation subjects namely; 10 Devices (earth, water, fire, air, blue, yellow, red, white, light, space), 10 Repulsive Things (swollen corpse, blueish corpse, festering corpse, fissured corpse, gnawed corpse, scattered corpse, hacked and scattered corpse, bloody corpse, worm-eaten corpse, skeleton), 10 Recollections (the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, morality, liberality, devas, death, what belongs to the body, respiration, peace), 4 Stations of Brahma (Loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity), 4 Formless States (station of endless space, station of unlimited consciousness, station of nothing whatsoever, station of neither perception nor non-perception), 1 Perception (perception of disgusting aspects of food), and 1 Analysis (analysis of the four elements). In this list, Recollections of Death is the seventh of the Ten Recollections. At the same time, 10 Repulsive Things are also subjects to death. The development of insight called ‘paññābhāvanā’ in Pali is the intuitive insight into Three Characteristics; impermanence (anicca), misery (dukkha) and impersonality (anatta) all bodily and mental phenomena of existence. Thus, seeing the nature of 94 《禪與人類文明研究》第 7 期（2020） International Journal for the Study of Chan Buddhism and Human Civilization Issue 7 (2020) things based on death is insight meditation as well. These impurities named as 10 Repulsive subjects, what belongs to the body (32 body parts) and Perception of disgusting aspects of food which guide to counteract greed (Visuddhimagga 1975 110, 111; Ñānamoli & Bodhi 2011, p. 104, 105; Conze 1972, p. 15). In brief, once Yogi Milarepa said that without being mindful of death, whatever Dharma practices you take up will be merely superficial (Ellison and Weingast 2016, p. 215). Though the commentator Buddhaghosa’s explanation on 40 meditation subjects was more popularized among Theravadins recollection of death was confirmed as maraṇānussati rather than maraṇasati which occurred in some canonical discourses. Buddhaghosa Thera pointed out Buddha, Dhamma, Saṁgha, sīla, cāga, devatā, and upasama with the suffix called anussati and ānāpāna, maraṇa, and kāyagātasati with suffix sati. Dr. Senaddheera has attempted through his good Doctoral Degree dissertation to show up two different meanings as anussati for recollection and sati for mindfulness but there cannot be found a good argument for his hypothesis. According to him sati is wakefulness and anussati is a process of thought and also recollection qualities of the Buddha with analyzing and admiring is buddhānussati. To prove his standpoint, it is quoted from the Visuddhimagga but it says that buddhānussati is synonymous for buddhguṇārammaṇāya satiya (Senadheera 2009, p.197-227). However, it seems that Buddhaghosa’s interpretation of mindfulness which rouses repeatedly is called recollection, anu+sati - anussati is more meaningful. Therefore, this research considers maraṇasati and maraṇānussati in a similar meaning. Mindfulness is the second foremost fact in the 37 Partaking of Enlightenment which represents nine times in all factors. They are; all the four foundations of mindfulness (satipaṭṭhāna), the third among the five faculties, the third of the five powers, the first of the seven enlightenment factors (bojjhaṁga), and second of the Noble Eightfold Path. Therefore, here let’s pay attention only on mindfulness of death or recollection of death for efficacious being. If this elephant mind is bound on all sides by the rope of mindfulness, all fear disappears and complete happiness comes (Baddhaśceccitta mātaṁgah smṛiti rajjvā samantatah; Bhayamastaṁgataṁ sarvaṁ kṛtsnaṁ kalyāņamāgataṁ. Bodhicaryāvatāra, 2001, p. 113). Controlling the mind is not an easy task but it should be seen as a fish drawn away from its water and thrown on land this mind quivers all over. Further, neither mother nor father nor other relatives do so much; as a well- directed mind does a man greater service (Dhammapada 1985, p. 35, 41). This is a subject of five which has to be recalled without concerning woman, man, householder or one gone forth. For the sake of what benefit should beings often reflect thus, ‘I am subject to death; I am not exempt from death’? During their lives beings are intoxicated with life, and when they are intoxicated with life they engage in misconduct through body, speech, and mind. But when one often reflects upon this theme, the intoxication with life is either completely abandoned or diminished. The rest four points are subject to old age but not exempt, subject to illness but not exempt, must
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