Sat; (Mindfulness) and the Structure of the Mind in Early Buddhism

by Madawala Seelawimala and Arnold McKinley

INTRODUCTION

editationaJ practice. of one sort or an­ control over his own development. Sati shares M other, plays an essential role in the daily this distinction with four other faculties.' In life of Buddhists. Indeed, the meditational Early Buddhist thought, one's further pro­ practices available are as varied as the Asian gress toward nibbiina sprang from sali cultures from which they sprang. Unfor­ development and upon it one's future practice tunately, most of them appear rather odd depended. when seen from a non-Buddhist, American point of view. Americans wonder, for exam· So if Americans are to understand Bud­ pie, what Buddhists do when they sit still for dhist forms of meditation and if Buddhism is countless hours or what they intend to gain by to be transferred successfully to America, moving ever so slowly, as those of the Americans must understand sali development Theravadan tradition do while walking in correctly. Unfortunately, such understanding vipassanii meditation. The answers to ques­ is difficult to attain because of the great dif­ tions like these lie in the Buddhist scriptures, ferences in language, philosophy and the suI/as-the discourses of the Buddha. "worldview" which exist between the There the original methods of sati (mind­ American and Asian cultures in which Bud­ fulness), from which all later Buddhist dhism developed. In fact, the task is difficult meditational practices developed, are describ­ even for Indian, Sri Lankan, Thai, Burmese ed. and Tibetan Buddhists who share their cultural roots with the Buddha. Subtleties of "There is this one way, monks, for the the teachings have been lost over the cen­ purification of beings, for the overcoming turies, tending to separate them from the Bud­ of sorrow and grief, for the ending of suf­ dha. fering and misery, for winning the right path, for realising nibbiina, that is to say, Indian monks arrived in China in the first the four practices of sati (mindfulness).''' century A.D. and translated some of the In­ dian sullas and commentaries by the second The development of sati, therefore, is century, but definitive translations, which considered to be absolutely essential for the successfully overcame the cultural differences realization of nibbiina, ultimate peace of and thus prepared the foundation for a critical mind. Indeed, the Buddha placed sammii-sati analysis of Buddha's teaching from a Chinese (right mindfulness) among the practices of the perspective, did not appear for another 300 Noble Eightfold Path. In essence, sali years. The American experience of Buddhism development forms one cornerstone of Bud­ is just beginning. dha's method. He calls sali an 'indriya', a faculty which gives the aspirant of nibbiJna One of the significant barriers to the

3 transfer of Buddhism presently is the lack of sati and the structure of the mind. proper English words which carry the subtle meanings intended by Buddhist technical Our goal is to find a clear interpretation terms. The problems are usually avoided by of the word sati so that the English word translators; English words are used as if they 'mindfulness' , which has become the standard captured the full meaning of the technical translation, will carry significantly more terms. A continued practice of this sort, meaning for the average American student of without adjacent textual explanations of the Buddhism than it does now.' To do so we will nuances, confuses rather than clarifies. Some examine some textual material in the canon, terms such as 'mental objects' (for sankhiira) identify key concepts, describe the processes or 'emptiness' (for sunyatii) are utterly foreign which sati, as an indriya, controls, and pre­ and vacuous in meaning to most Americans, sent a graphical model of these processes. The since commensurate notions do not exist in model in conjunction with our knowledge of Western culture. vipassanii practice will suggest an interpreta­ tion of sati. We expect this paper to do no more, therefore, than to continue the scholarly discussion on the proper interpretation of sati SA TIiN THE PALl CANON for Americans using metaphors and models which Americans can understand. We are in­ The canon, itself, consists of three parts: ferring our interpretations of sati and of the the Sutta Pi/aka (The Basket of Teachings) by structure of the mind from the Pali Text the Buddha; the Vinaya Pi/aka (The Basket of Society's translations, except where we believe Rules) by which the followers were to live; and the translations are better rendered elsewhere. the Abhidhamma Pi/aka (The Basket of The massive work of retranslating all of the Philosophical Treatments of the Suttas). The pertinent passages with matured interpreta­ major discourse on sali occurs twice, once as tions has yet to be done; for now, we are mak­ the tenth discourse in the Majjhima Nikiiya ing a first attempt at organizing these passages (The Medium Length Sayings) where it is call­ and forming a usable model which can be ed Satipallhiina Sutta, and once as the twenty­ tested against future translations and inter­ second discourse of the Dfgha Nikiiya (The pretations. Long Sayings) where it is called Mahii­ Satipalfhiina Sutta.· We are guided by two principles in our endeavor: first, that the Buddha seems to have The word sati (or smrti, in Sanskrit) chosen his words very carefully, inasmuch as originally carried the meaning 'memory' or he strove for clarity in the presentation of his 'remembrance', but in Buddhist usage in the teachings; and second, that much of modern canon it refers to the present, perhaps a vipassanii meditation practice reasonably 'remembrance of the present' and therefore, reflects the ancient practice itself. Under the carries a meaning closer to 'attention' or first principle, for example, we would not ex­ 'awareness'. It refers particularly to an pect a regular appearance in the canon of two awareness which is well-placed, good, right, different Pali words to refer to the same con­ 'skillful' (kusa/a). Palfhiina, from fhii, means cept. We feel that the use of the English word 'placing right next to, or right in front of'. It 'mind' to translate both citta and mano, as is is sometimes translated 'arousing' or often done today, is not admissible. Under the 'establishment'. The complete title of the sut­ second, we would expect modern practice to ta may, therefore, be rendered "The suggest insights into the more subtle aspects of Discourse on the Immediate Presence or the translations and thus of the teaching on Establishment of Sali".'

4 Satipaflhana Sutta gives four Paflhanas which may help clarify them. of sati: "A person lives contemplating the kaya in the kaya ... he lives contemplating vedanii in the vedanl1 . . . he lives con­ THE SALA YATANA templating citta in the citta . . . he lives con­ (THE SIX 'FIELDS' OR 'SPHERES') templating dhamma in the dhamma".· "Lives contemplating .. 'x' .. in the ,. 'x' .," translates The concepts kaya, vedana, citta, and ... anupassT viharati which refers to a very dhamma are defined more clearly in several conscious, present abiding and observing suttas elsewhere in the pi/aka, particularly in awareness or consciousness. The phrase is Majjhima Nikaya and in SalTlyutta nikaya:' repeated over and over again as if to em­ phasize its importance with respect to sati. The Lord spoke thus: 'Six internal The sutta follows with a large number of ex­ ayalana are to be understood, six exter­ amples as if to explain what "lives con­ nal ayalana, six of viflflarra, six of templating .. 'x' .. in the .. 'x' .. means in ac­ phassQ, six of vedand, ... ' .• tual practice. These provide some meaning to the terms kaya, vedanl1, citta, and dhamma. Ayalana is used to refer to a 'realm', The examples provide the basis of vipassana 'field' or 'sphere' of activity. The internal meditational practice, as well as describing the l1yalanas include: first, the 'five senses', awareness of the one who has developed sati namely chakkhu (the visual sense), sola (the perfectly. aural sense), ghana (the smelling sense), and jivha (the tasting sense) and kaya (the feeling In these examples, kaya seems to rerer to sense), the last of which is usually translated the body, but in a special way: no reference to 'body' but now is seen to be narrower in an individual is implied anywhere. Rather, meaning than that; and second, mana, an kaya is referred to as a kind of agglomeration ayalana for which Westerners do not have a of parts. Vedana, in the examples, seems to 'sense' counterpart. The external ayalanas refer to 'feelings' or 'sensations'; pleasure, refer to the objects sensed: riipa (visible ob­ pain, and neither-pleasure-nor-pain are men­ ject), sadda (sound), gandha (odor), tioned. Although 'reelings' is its usual transla­ phoflhabba (touched object), and dhamma tion, we find difficulty with it and will amend (the additional sense object related to mana). it later. Citta and dhamma are more difficult With each of the six ayalanas come related to determine from the readings. viflilarra, phassa, and vedanl1 in that order (see Figures I and 2). With regard to the last two words, the ex­ amples use terms referring to psychological The text of Majjhima III. 281 indicates "states", maybe thoughts, and perhaps pro­ that a vifllll1rra related to a particular sense cesses, such as lust, hate, distraction, anger, (Jet's call it a 'sensory'-vedanii) arises from a sloth, and their opposites, but details are miss­ dependence on the internal and external ing. Usual translations equate citta with sensory-iiyatanas, that the 'meeting' of these 'mind' and dhamma with 'elements­ three is sensory-phassa and that from sensory­ of-reality', but 'mind' in English has a specific phassa arises sensory-vedana. So that, for ex­ connotation which only partially refiects the ample, the chakkhu (eye-sense), meeting with entire meaning of the word citta, and riipa (the visible object) generates chakkhu­ 'elements-of-reality' is an ambiguous term viflflarra. These three give rise to chakkhu­ given the centuries of Western debate concern phassa, where phassa means 'contact' and, in ing the nature of 'reality'. We therefore, must this context, is usually translated 'visual search other suttas for uses of these terms sensory-impingement. From such impinge- s ment arises chakkhu-vedana. Sensory-vedana, Also associated with the senses are six in­ therefore, is the result of a long line of driyas.' The word comes from the old vedic dependencies. Throughout the suttas the reference to Indra, the highest God of the phrase, "pleasure, pain, and neither-pleasure­ Vedic system. Therefore, indriya, 'of or per­ nor-pain" J is used to ascribe some meaning to taining to Indra', may be thought of as a 'con­ the term vedana. trolling faculty'. It is often translated 'sense­ organ', but Majjhima III. 298 is entitled In­ driyabhtivanasutta (Discourse on the Develop­ ment of the Indriya) and it seems a more po­ tent concept to develop a 'controlling faculty' "PholfhablHl" VISUAL "RJ1po." than an 'organ'." Indeed, the texts (both here SENSE and in Sa/'flyutta v. 73) indicate that control is to be established over what arises after the ob­ SEN"OF : ject sensed is judged likable, dislikable, or TOUCH 8"KdJ'4" both. Such judgment occurs further down the 8 0U:FACTORY SENSE road of awareness and perception, rather than at the organ where awareness begins. AUD,TORy8 "Ghana" sr.~SF. "Soia" 8 ··G'~d.·· Important discussions associated with the relationship of the six indriyas and ayatanas "Jf!'h'" GUSTATORY occur in Sa/'flyutta v. 217 and Majjhima I. "SQddhQ" 8 SENSE 294:" "R/lUI" There are ... these five indriyas of dif­ ferent scope and different range, and they do not mutually enjoy each other's Figure 1 scope and range. Mano-indriya (the The Firsl Five 1nlernal and Exlernal Ayatanas sixth indriya) is their patisara(la (refuge, shelter, resort). It is mano-indriya that profits by their scope and range.

Ghana-Vedanli This text is pivotal in understanding Bud­ dha's structure of the human organism. It suggests that the sixth ayatana synthesizes the results of the other five iiyatanas. It develops concepts, thoughts and ideas from a Gandha hodgepodge of sensory data and, as shall be shown in the discussion on vipassanii medita­ Ghana-PhassQ tion, provides the basis for mental awareness (see Figure 3). Ghana­ VljJ1i4~a A clue as to how this synthetic processing occurs appears in Buddha's alternative description of the human organism as an ag­ glomeration of 'five khandhas'. In particular, .'Igure 2 he warns the monks of the danger of identify­ The Processes of the Internal Ayataoa ing anyone of the khandhas, or all of them Example: The Olfactory Sense taken together, with a 'self'. These are riipa,

6 vedanli, sa",khlira, and villlllir/a. The scrip­ nor-pain." The root is vid (to know). When ture gives the following explanations for the used in conjunction with the senses, the term etymology of these terms. implies 'perception as the experience of the senses'." Consequently, the term implies more than just sensation or feeling; there is a knowledge associated with it. Recall that the sensory-vedanlis arise last in a line of Mano-Riipa dependencies on other sensory-characteristics. - These vedanlis, therefore, are the results of sensory processing. We believe that the term iWano­ vedanii, used singularly without a sensory /ndriJ'tI prefix, refers to the six vedaniis taken together.

Sa/fifii is used ubecause one 'perceives' (sa",jiiniitl) blue-green, yellow, red or white." The translation does not get to the heart of the Mano-Rupa ,.. the brllin Mano-lndn)YI "" matter." The passage seems to express a

Mano- Vlitrid!lQ '" central faculty of recognition (of some aspects of outside ob­ .w.renH5 and conlrol onr jects) which are rIlore complicated than the processinR In the the six Q}'atlUJDS neo-cortex which yields 'pleasure, pain and neither-pleasure-nor-pain' synlhesbed concepts of the sensory-vedaniis. Sallllii refers to a pro­ cessing of vedanii which distinguishes Figure 3 characteristics of the external object against The Sixth Internal and External Ayat&na its background. The Pali Text Society's translation of the "Rupa (form) is used," says the scrip­ text concerning sa",khiira (activities­ ture, "because one is affected by the touch of compound) holds little meaning in English. cold and heat, hunger and thirst, gnats and Another translation proposes, "they are mosquitoes, wind and sun and snakes."tl called sa",khiira because they renew what had Rupa refers to the form constituted by the been undergoing renewal in the past."" We four essential natural elements, air, heat, prefer a meaning which points to an activity water, and earth. It is derived from the root by which concepts, acquired in the past rup (to break). "Rupa breaks, monks; (brown, purple, red, etc.), are brought to the therefore it is called riipa."" Used with the fore for comparison with the present recogni­ senses, riipa would refer to the organ itself. tions made during sallllii processing (blue­ For example, ghlina-riipa would refer to the green, yellow, red, etc.). In a broader context organ of the olfactory sense. Note that the we would have it refer to the rapid, ongoing word riipa is also used for the external flow of comparisons required to make correct liyatana of the eye-sense, that is, for 'that pattern matches with patterns already stored. which is seen'. This strengthens our inter­ We are not aware of a word for this in pretation of its use in reference to that part of English, so we prefer to keep sa",khiira an internal liyatana which can be seen, the without translation. organ itself. Villlliir/a is used "because one is con­ Vedanli is used "because one feels scious ... of sour or bitter J acrid or sweet, pleasure, pain and neither-pleasure- alkaline or non-alkaline, saline or

7 non-saline." The translation seems to confuse ayatanas. The six vedaniis are represented by saflflii with viflflii~a. One translator equates short, thin arrows. Dhamma, the sixth exter­ vilJlfii(lQ with 'passive consciousness'. 17 For nal iiyatana, appears 'external' to mana. us, the six sense-viflflii~as refer to the pro­ Dhamma will be discussed shortly. cesses which complete the recognition of those aspects of the external object which relate to the specific sense. For example, the chakku­ viflflii~a refers to the visual processing which recognizes the visual aspects of the external object. Chakkhu-vedanii is the result.

Most of the terms which have been in­ troduced so far from the suttas have been assigned some meaning; dhamma, citta, mano, and of course, sati, still remain undefined.

THE GRAPHICAL MODEL

The texts discussed above hint at a rather sophisticated model of human psychological processes which the Buddha seems to have ex­ plained only to the extent of supporting his teaching concerning the need to abandon all Figure 4 attachments and repulsions which these pro­ The Gn.phical Representation of the- Cilia cesses might engender. 11 In summary, the texts suggest that mental processes involve six Modern science has illuminated the internal and external iiyatanas (six spheres details of the sensory processes, making a related to the six senses), six indriyas (con­ direct comparison with the iiyatanas possible. trolling faculties), six viflflii~as, and six In the sense of smell, for example, odor phassas; the result of the processing of all molecules (gandha, the external iiyatana) bind these is the six vedaniis. The texts say that five to receptors on the surface of the olfactory khandhas, namely, riipa, vedanii, safllkhiira epithelium in the nose. Chemical changes and viflflii~a, generate full concepts from in­ stimulate these neurons to send electrical im­ itial sensory contact with the sense objects. pulses to the brain's olfactory bulbs. Mitral They say that five indriyas do not overlap or neurons send information directly into the share their region of control or operation, but limbic system of the brain which, in turn, ac­ rather share common ground with a sixth in­ tivates the hypothalamus and the pituitary driya; that is, that mano-indriya controls the gland. The limbic system also reaches into the common concerns of the other five. The struc­ neocortex, site of the brain's higher processes, tural model which we believe synthesizes these to stimulate conscious thoughts and ideas appears in Figure 4. reactions. U The internal and external iiyatanas Ghiina-riipa refers to the material parts (spheres) are identifiable, as are the riipa, of the sense in the above example. viflflii~a and indriya of each sense sphere. The Ghiina-viflflii(la refers to the chemical and six phassas are represented by long, thin ar­ electrical processing and depends upon the rows piercing the external and internal conjunction of the odor molecules and the in-

8 ternal iiyalana (ghana) . Ghiina-phassa refers just how it exercises central control. to the 'meeting' of gandha, ghiina, and ghana­ viililiirra. Ghiina-vedanl1 refers to the messages As with the other five iiyalanas, mano­ sent to the limbic system, the pituitary gland viililiilla arises due to a dependence on the in­ and the neocortex. Here sailila processing ternal sixth l1yalana, mano, and the external combines these vedaniis with the vedana of the sixth iiyatana, dha,mma. Mano-phassa arises other senses and distinguishes characteristics from the meeting of these three and from this of the external object from the background. mano-vedanii arises. But what is dhamma? Sa",khiira processing compares these What is its source? What sort of an external characteristics with others already stored in iiyalana is it? Our studies have not yet pro­ memory so that the object can be identified. vided a clear answer; we are still working with the text. Similarly, mano, the sixth iiyalana for which no "sense'l counterpart exists in Dhamma may refer to the commands English, has an organ, the mano-riipa, which sent from mano-ind,iya to the mano-viililiirra we believe must refer to the brain. We suggest and to the other sensory indriyas and in this that the five vedaniis share their common way may be the principle vehicle of control ground in the processing called over the entire system. There are two prob­ mano-viililiirra; the processes, sailill1 and lems with this: 1) such commands do not ap­ sa",khiira, are prior to mano-viililiirra process­ pear to be "external" to mano, and 2) we ing. Therefore, when the term viililiirra ap­ would also expect to see terms which refer to pears alone, without a sensory prefix, it refers the commands generated by the other sensory to mano-viililiilla processing. The end result is ind,iyas as well, but we do not. a concept of the external object called mano­ vedana. Sa",khl1ra also refers to memory pro­ Dhamma may refer to the concepts, ideas cesses. and thoughts which mano-ind,iya works with and creates. This makes mano-ind,iya the In summary, the model works like this: 'presently aware consciousness' and dhamma The saililii process draws together the various the moment-to-moment focus of its opera­ sensory-vedaniis to form a primitive notion of tion. But this idea also suffers from the same the sensed object. Sa",khiira recalls concepts two criticisms. already stored in memory and compares them with the results of saililii. Mano-viililarra puts Or, dhamma may refer to the six vedaniis them all together to produce, eventually, a taken together; some textual material seems to conception of the external object, mano­ justify this notion. In this case then, mano­ vedanii. vedaniis may be injected into the mano­ indriya whence they become dhammas; but Recall that the text of Sa",yulta v. 217 in­ not all mano-vedaniis are dhammas since dicates that mano-ind,iya is the palisa,aila some are immediately stored in memory (refuge, shelter, resort) of the other five sen­ (sa",khl1,a) without ever entering mano­ sory ind,iyas. Therefore, the task of the ind,iya. This distinguishes the mano-vedaniis mano-ind,iya is to share in the control of the from dhammas. other senses. Each of the sensory ind,iyas has some control over its native viililiirra process­ Therefore, our model of human ing, but mano-ind,iya steps in from time to psychological processes, as we believe it ap­ time to exercise a more central control. We pears textually in the Nikl1yas of the Pali learn from a study of vipassanii meditation Canon, consists of Figure 4 and the accom­ just what mano-ind,iya is, experientially, and panying description given above. We believe

9 that the Buddha referred to the entire model to the movement-a lifting, a moving, a set­ by the term cilia. This may be seen particular­ ting down and a shifting of weight into the ly in Sa'flyulla ii. 2. The English term 'mind', next step. One is told to look carefully at the therefore, refers in its technical meaning to 'mind's activity' during this walking. Soon the same processes referred to by cilIa but, in after starting practice, the meditator realizes its common usage, only to mano; thus the that before each part there come several confusion over the translation of these two preludes. Let us say for argument that these terms. are: a motivation to move, a desire to move, a choice, an intention, and finally the issuance It is important to note that great dif­ of a command to move. Meditators soon ficulties exist in English because of the realize that in order to really watch these Western tradition of assigning 'places' to the 'preludes of the mind' between parts of the processing. 'The consciousness'l for example. walking movement, they must deliberately is spoken of as if it were a place where move their feet very slowly; the watching is awareness abides. In the sullas, we find not easy. Serious beginners mOve slowly villillinas to be processes, not places or pro­ because they do not ' observe' these preludes cessors; indriyas are faculties of control, not when these preludes first occur and therefore places, as terms like 'consciousness' tend to must 'request' a replay of them a second and imply. The subtleties are important, but it is perhaps a third or more times in order to difficult to remain faithful to them in every in­ observe them clearly. stance of translation or explanation. Interestingly enough, just as the begin­ ners start to observe these preludes and begin VIPASSANA MEDITATION to move faster as a result, they discover that AND THE MODEL each of the four parts consists of a very large number of 'sub-parts', The 'lifting part', for Recalling the Salipalfhiina SUlla's four example, consists of a large number of lifting pallhiinas of sali: "A person lives con­ parts and each of these has associated motiva­ templating the kaya in the kaya .. . he lives tions, desires, choices, intentions, and com­ contemplating vedana in the vedanli . . . he mands. This is indeed a very large number of lives contemplating cilia in the cilia . . . he activities to watch, so the beginners, who are lives contemplating the cilia . .. he lives con­ now more advanced in the practice, must templating dhamma in the dhamma" . Using move even more slowly. Continued practice of the four pallhanas one peers inward (anupassT this leads the beginners to . . . anupassf viharali-a very conscious, present abiding viharali (careful observing) of the body at and observing) toward finer and finer ac­ every instant of time in all of their daily tivities of the human organism, first toward routine. the kaya (the feeling sense), then the vedanli (the sense-vedana), then the cilia (the activity In sitting meditation, sali development of the 'mind' as represented by the model begins in a similar fashion ; here, however, the given above), and lastly toward the dhamma. beginners first observe the passage of the This is the essence of vipassanii practice. breath in and out of the body. They soon discover that the lessons learned while walking In common practice today, the beginner apply equally well to breathing. Soon the is introduced to vipassana with two medita­ teachers suggest different foci for bodily at­ tions-a 'walking meditation' and a 'sitting tention, and the beginners learn that they can meditation'. In the first, one moves the feet interrupt the flow of desires, choices, inten­ very, very slowly, keeping track of four parts tions, etc., a/ will. They learn to interject

10 alternative desires, choices, intentions, etc ., Qt from the chakkhu-vilflfiina. On the other will. hand, chakkhu-indriya does issue commands such as moving the eyeball to the left or to the In terms of our model, what seems to be right when the organism (the person) makes a happening may be described in the following conscious decision to do so; this conscious way: Mano-illdriya, the faculty of direct con­ decision is put into effect through a request by trol over the entire cilIa, seems capable of ac­ the mono-indriya to the chakkhu-indriya. ting on only one dhamma at a time; moreover t These requests are shown in Figure 4 as thick comprehension of that dhamma seems to be arrows . relatively slow-slow in comparison to the generation of other activities (desire, choice, In the case of the mano-vilflfii~a, such etc.). Indeed, much parallel processing occurs 'automatic' behavior is evidenced when, for in the citta simultaneously, because each of example, the entire organism walks. In walk­ the sensory-vi/l/liilla operates independently ing, there is no need for a direct command to of the others, feeding their resulting vedanli to be issued by the central mano-indriya to all the central processing of mano-villlfii~a . the other five indriyas in order to effect a step While the mano-indriya abides with one forward. The motions are already prescribed dhamma at a time, much complex and embedded in the mano-vilffl/1~a for fast, mano-vilf/lii~a (and five sensory-villlf/1~a) effective dispersal to the important centers of processing occurs sim ultaneou sly. control without the need for that sort of cen­ Mano-vi/l/lii~a processing is done very rapid­ tral intervention. A 'lifting of the arm' is a ly. similar motion.

Mano-indriya, being a 'faculty of con­ Where might these 'automatic' activities trol', can intervene during mano-vil!lf/1~a pro­ come from? Some are clearly learned. For ex­ cessing, registering any command it wishes. ample, a baby must move very slowly when The same may be said of each of the indepen­ learning to walk. Each step is repeated over dent sensory-indriya with respect to their and over again until certain patterns are vilflfii~a. In this way the indriyas interrupt the established so that walking via mano-vi/llfii~a normal proceedings of their respective processing can become automatic. The pro­ vifl/lii~a. This is the means by which cesses salflf/1 and saf1lkhiira are involved in meditators directly control the walking or the forming these patterns in memory. The same breathing movement al will. may be said of many patterns which we recognize as learned patterns. The word This latter part of the model suggests sairkhala, a past participle, refers to these several very interesting phenomena which automatic 'instructions'; we might use the must be occurring in the cilia. English word 'pre-programmed', drawn from computer language, in translating it. The First, the six sensory-vilf/lii~as (including tradition teaches that all, not just some, of the mano-vilflf/1~a) must be the center of some these patterns are learned. 'automatic' activities of their own. In the case of the chakkhu (visual sense) this would be the Second, one part of mano-vilflf/1~a activi­ movement of the muscles during focusing, or ty is the feeding of information to mano­ of the lens in inverting the image onto the indriya periodically; this keeps mano-indriya retina and similar processes. The chakkhu­ informed of the organism's activities. There indriya is not normally involved in issuing seems to be no clear-cut rule for the type of in­ commands for the performance of these ac­ formation passed. One experiences this tions; they occur 'automatically' and come periodic flow of information directly as an in-

I I coming flow of mQno~vedQnQ, an 'on-going trol, mano-indriya loses track of the moving flow' of dhamma, which seems to overtake foot and the foot continues along its pre­ and sometimes dominate one's attention appointed path while the mano-indriya re­ without clear direction. The English term for mains so preoccupied. It is one purpose of this is 'day-dreaming'. Sometimes these vipassanii meditation to recognize this inter­ dhammas seem to clamor for attention. The ruption and to bring the mano-illdriya back to Mandupilidika Sulla uses the term Papaftca­ its focus, the foot. Sali refers to the faculty of saftftii-salikhil to refer to this continual flow of control which is improved by this recognition. dhammas to the extent of causing conflict. If some purposeful direction exists to the flow, It appears to be the case that pre­ the English term used is 'thinking'. programmed instructions are exercised by mano-villllii(la processing until deflected by This implies that one mano-villllli(la ac­ direct request of the mano-indriya. tivity is the instigation of creative endeavor in the cilia; as mano-indriya controls the flow of these dhammas, it relates them in odd ways depending upon how they are received, and SAT! fashions new dhamma, then sends these results back to storage for future use by With this teaching on the structure of the sallllii, sa",khilra, and mano-villllil(la. cilia, Buddha prepared the foundation for his teachings concerning the nature of mental suf­ Third, mano-indriya can explicitly direct fering and of the path toward ending that suf­ mano-villllli(la and other villllli(la processing fering. These cilia processes, he says, form the of the senses. It can initiate the flow of mano­ whole world as we know it: vedanli and of dhamma, prevent the sending of dhamma, or request mano-villllli(la to pre­ The [iiyalanas] are transitory by nature filter the dhamma before sending them. It ... the [various villllli(las] are transitory may, for example, request only certain types ... [so is] mano-villllii(la ... whatsoever of dhamma (let's call them 'messages') having pleasure or pain or neutrol experience to do with sounds, or having to do with walk­ which arises . . . all are transitory by ing actions. nature. What is thus transitory is called 'the world I .10 So, in walking meditation what happens is this: mano-indriya requests no interruptions He says that one must investigate so that with messages from mano-villllii(la process­ the villllii(la is not confused. ing, except those having to do with the four parts of the walking movement. It then issues Monks, a monk should investigate so that, a command for the foot to move a short as he investigates, his villllii(la ... may be distance. The activity of the body required for undistracted, not confused ... for him this short movement is already pre­ who is thus undisturbed by grasping there programmed (salikhala), so there is no pro· is in the future no ... anguish." blem in carrying out the request. However, mano-villllliiia processing is so rapid that the Buddha's point is that the results of the creative process begins anew while the foot cilia processes mayor may not be an accurate carries out the instructions. If sali is not well representation of the external object. Indeed developed, the request for no interruptions is none of the vedaniis carries an accurate not obeyed, and dhammas are again injected representation of the external object unless into mano-indriya. Without persistent con- the sensory-indriyas and the sensory-villllii(las

12 have been developed, through, for example, FOOTNOTES: the pallhiJnas (the practices) of sali. Grasping after these vedaniis, or being repulsed by them, as if they represented the external ob­ ject accurately, would be tantamount to living in fantasy. The result of such graspings and I. Majjhima Nikiiya, (The Collection of repulsions is suffering. the Middle-Length Sayings) trans. LB. Horner for the Pali Text Society, vol. 1-3 It is the business of sali (and the other (London: Luzac and Company, 1954-59). See four indriyas) to develop the cilia processes so Majjhima 55. that this does not occur. With their develop­ 2. Safllyutta Nikiiya, (The Book of the ment, one has complete and correct Kindred Sayings), vol. 1 trans. Mrs. Rhys knowledge (abhillilii and parilllla), not only of Davids and vol. 2-5 trans. F.H. Woodward external objects, but also of the sources of for the Pali Text Society. (London: Luzac and one's attachment to, or repugnance for, those Company, 1950-80). See Safllyutta v. 229 and objects. One also has the knowledge that suf­ 230; we shall have more to say about the word fering, which arises from these attachments indriya later. The other four indriyas are sad­ and repugnances, can cease and that the dhiJ (confidence), viriya (effort), samadhi eightfold path is the method for doing this. (concentration), and pallilii (full and complete This is the core of Buddhist teaching. wisdom). 3. Sometimes sati is translated 'awareness' or 'introspective awareness'. CONCLUSIONS 4. Also see Nyanaponika Thera, The Hearl of Buddhist Meditation (London: Rider We have presented a model of the struc­ and Company, 1962), p. 9. ture of the mind as we believe it appears in the S. Ibid. Pali sullas and have explained some impor­ 6. The tanslation is by Soma Thera, The tant points concerning sali. Several Pali terms Way of Mindfulness (Kandy, Sri Lanka: The were given clearer connotations, and several Buddhist Publication Society, 1975), p. 16. details concerning their interaction were sug­ 7. Majjhima I. 294-295, Ill. 137 in the gested based on the model. The English term Pali Text Society's work, Ill. 148281, Ill. 287 traditionally used to translate sati, 'mind­ and Safllyutta v. 217 . When the Buddha fulness', is not completely accurate, because taught, he answered question which were ask­ sali is an indriya, not a state. It is noted that ed by the people present before him, and he the text implies processes of the organism, not spoke with words and stories which they places in the organism where activities occur understood . As with all great teachers, there is as the English translations tend to do. Finally, reason to believe that he spoke according to some aspects of vipassanii meditation were the capacity of those listening to understand. described using the model. One finds that one teaching which is presented sketchily in one place in the canon can be It is interesting to report that the model found in another place in greater detail. has similarities to modern computer architec­ 8. Majjhima Ill. 281. ture. Just how far the analogy may be taken 9. Majjhima Ill. 298-299 and Safllyutta has yet to be studied. v. 205. 10. Contrary to footnote I, p. 346 of the Pali Text translation of Majjhima III 298-299 . 1I. p. 192 and p. 355, respectively, of the

1 3 Pali Text Society's translation. jhima I. 260-261; "Even so, Bikkhus, of what 12. Sal?1yutta iii. 87; this translation is I have known I have told you only a little, from the Pali Text Society's work as are the what I have not told you is very much more. first translations in each of the next And why have I not told you [those things]? paragraphs. Because that is not useful ... not leading to 13. From the same text in the canon, but nibbiina." Sal?1yutta v. 437 quoted from Sri translated by Dickwela Piyananda. The Con­ Rahula Walpola. What the Buddha Taught cept of Mind in Early Buddhism. A disserta­ (N.Y.: Grove Press, 1959), p. 12. tion. (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic 19. See "Sensory Reception", University of America, The Department of Macropaedia, Vol. 27 (London: Encyclopedia Modern Languages and Literatures, 1974), Britannica, 1987), p. 114-221 and Boyd Gib­ p.89. bons, "The Intimate Sense of Smell", Na­ 14. Also see Piyananda, p. 93. tional Geographic, 170, no. 3. (Sept. 1986), p. 15. As Piyananda notes, p. 97. 324 for straightforward descriptions of the 16. Piyananda, p. 104. processes involved. 17. Piyananda, p. 105. 20. Sal?1yutta iv. 53. 18. See Sal?1yutta iv. 52, 86-87 and Maj- 21. Majjhima III. 223-225.

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