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Meditation Tradition Practiced by Burmese Orthodox Buddhist Monks

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Meditation Tradition Practiced by Burmese Orthodox Buddhist Monks THETHE TRUETRUE POWERPOWER OFOF KKANNANNĪĪ MEDMEDIITATATITIONON The Essential Guide to Ānāpānassati & Vipassanā Copyright © 2019 by The Venerable Sumańgala Printed for free distribution by The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation. 11F, 55 Hang Chow South Road Sec. 1, Taipei, Taiwan, R. O. C. Tel: 886-2-23951198, Fax: 886-2-23913415 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.budaedu.org This book is strictly for free distribution, it is not to be sold. E-mail: [email protected] (Sumańgala) E-mail: [email protected] (Eunsook Cha) “Kannī Pāragū” description: In the “Kannī Pāragū”, Kannī is the name of the type of meditation tradition practiced by Burmese orthodox Buddhist monks. Pāragū means specialist, expert, or doctorate. Thus, “Kannī Pāragū” stands for Kannī meditation specialist or Dr. of Kannī meditation who practices meditation until attaining Magga Ñāṇa (Knowledge of ultimate enlightenment). The founder of Kannī meditation, Ven. U Sobhita used the titled “Pāragū” on his all books. “Kannī Pāragū” is mentioned to honor him on behalf of all his disciples. * The Pāḷi texts in the book are based on a complete edition of the Pāḷi Piṭaka from the Sixth Buddhist Synod (Chaṭṭha saṅgāyana) held in Yangon, Myanmar. - Cover & text design by Jaejin Song, President of Ga-ggum Publishing Co. in Korea Tel: 82-70-7572-6643 Mobile: 82-10-9138-7825 Email: [email protected] - Internal illustration by Kyungran Cha (Majored in ceramics at Seoul Women’s University, Seoul, Korea. Received master’s degree in art therapy at Myongji University, Seoul, Korea. Currently, she is highly active as an art therapist for people with mental illness.) THETHE TRUETRUE POWERPOWER OFOF KANNKANNĪĪ MEDITATIONMEDITATION The Essential Guide to Ānāpānassati & Vipassanā Venerable Sumańgala Edited by Eunsook Cha How to Become a Wise KANNĪ PĀRAGŪ: Teachings from the Theravāda Buddhist Scriptures Do you have the potential to attain Magga ñāṇa? What knowledge will you equip yourself with in preparation for your next incarnation? Spiritual knowledge has the ability to transcend the restraints of mortality. The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation Tumhehi kiccamātappaṃ akkhātāro Tathāgatā (Pañcasatabhikkhuvatthu, Dhammapada Pāḷi). You should strive to do your job for your own sake. The Buddha is only a teacher. The Venerable Sumańgala CONTENTS Foreword ● 12 Editor’s Preface ● 16 Acknowledgements ● 18 History and Introduction to Kannī Tradition Meditation ● 20 PART ONE SAMATHA SPECIALIZING IN ĀNĀPĀNASSATI CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Buddhist Meditation ● 26 1. Samatha Bhāvanā ● 26 2. Vipassanā Bhāvanā ● 27 3. Sāsana Related to Vipassanā and Mindfulness ● 27 CHAPTER 2 How to Start Meditation Practice ● 34 1. Buddhānussati ● 35 (1) How to practice ● 46 (2) The Benefits of Developing Buddhānussati ● 46 (3) Stories about the Benefits of Buddhānussati ● 47 2. Mettā Bhāvanā ● 52 (1) How to Develop Mettā Bhāvanā ● 55 (2) The Benefits of Mettā Bhāvanā ● 61 3. Asubha Bhāvanā ● 63 4. Maraṇassati ● 63 (1) Why Should We practice Maraṇassati? ● 66 (2) How to practice ● 75 (3) The Benefits of Developing Maraṇassati? ● 76 CHAPTER 3 Permanent Meditation ● 79 1. What is Ānāpānassati? ● 79 2. How to practice Ānāpānassati according to the Pāḷi 6 ● Texts ● 83 - Method 1: Being Aware of Inhalation & Exhalation ● 83 3. When You Start Practising ● 85 - A Story about the Buddha’s Closest Dāyaka Anāthapiṇḍika ● 93 4. The Benefits of Practising Ānāpānassati ● 95 5. Ānāpānassati as a Manual of All Buddhas’ Practice ● 101 6. The Purpose of Developing Concentration ● 106 7. Strenuous Practice to Attain Magga Ñāṇa ● 112 CHAPTER 4 What are the Obstacles to the Practice? ● 117 1. What are Nīvaraṇa (Hindrances)? ● 117 2. How to Remove the Hindrances ● 122 CHAPTER 5 Unavoidable Mental Murmuring Which Destroys One’s Concentration ● 129 1. Two Kinds of Vitakka (Thought) ● 130 2. How to Remove Sensual Thoughts ● 133 CHAPTER 6 Draining of Your Concentration ● 137 1. Six Habits to Refrain from during Meditation ● 137 2. Green Sunglasses You are Wearing ● 141 (1) Why are We in the Best Age? ● 143 (2) Why are We in the Best Realm? ● 144 (3) Why are We in the Best Time? ● 146 3. The Best Way to Offer to the Buddha ● 146 CHAPTER 7 The 37 Affiliated Factors of Enlightenment & 7 Enlightenment Factors ● 150 - The 7 Enlightenment Factors ● 154 CHAPTER 8 Adjustment of the 5 Faculties of Meditation Factors ● 175 ● 7 CHAPTER 9 What is a Nimitta? ● 182 CHAPTER 10 Method 2 - Knowing the Length of Inhalation and Exhalation ● 186 1. Sending a Nimitta ● 188 2. Pre-Endowment Factors to Attain Magga Ñāṇa ● 191 3. Controlling the Nimitta ● 197 4. Pilgrimage to a Remote Pagoda through the Nimitta ● 199 5. How to Handle the Nimitta ● 202 CHAPTER 11 Method 3-Becoming Aware of the Entire Breathing Cycle ● 205 1. Sending a Nimitta through the Body Upward or Downward ● 206 2. Penetrating the Body by a Nimitta ● 208 - How to practice ● 209 3. Erasing the Body ● 210 CHAPTER 12 Method 4 - Laying the Nimitta into the Heart Base ● 213 - A Yogī Who Does not Deserve to Attain Magga Ñāṇa ● 218 PART TWO VIPASSANĀ CHAPTER 1 Why Do We Have to practice Vipassanā? ● 223 1. Saṅkhāra (Mental Conditioning) ● 224 (1) How could Human Beings Repay the Debt of many Millions of Bad lives? ● 228 (2) What is the Difference Between Entering into Parinibbāna and Death? ● 229 8 ● 2. What is Vipassanā? ● 229 3. How to practice Vipassanā Meditation ● 232 CHAPTER 2 Preliminary Meditation before Starting Vipassanā ● 235 1. Rūpa Pariggaha ● 235 - How to practice ● 246 2. Nāma Pariggaha ● 250 (1) Nāma ● 251 (2) How to practice ● 258 (3) The Five Aggregates ● 261 (4) Diṭṭhi Visuddhi - Micchādiṭṭhi ● 266 3. Paccaya Pariggaha ● 273 - How to practice ● 285 4. Addhāna Pariggaha ● 286 (1) How to practice ● 289 (2) Paṭiccasamuppāda ● 291 CHAPTER 3 Sammasana Ñāṇa ● 300 1. Knowledge Point of View (3 Pariññā) ● 300 2. Purification Point of View (7 Visuddhi) ● 302 - How to practice ● 311 - The Recitation Formulas for Sammasana Ñāṇa ● 313 (1) The 7 Ways to Meditate on Rūpa ● 313 (2) The 7 Ways to Meditate on Nāma ● 315 CHAPTER 4 Udayabbaya Ñāṇa ● 323 1. The Quality of Udayabbaya Ñāṇa ● 326 (1) Story about 900 Monks ● 333 (2) How to practice ● 334 (3) The Recitation Formulas for Udayabbaya Ñāṇa ● 335 2. How to Overcome Severe Pain ● 9 during Meditation ● 335 CHAPTER 5 Bhaṅga Ñāṇa ● 338 1. How Bhaṅga Ñāṇa Arises ● 339 2. How to practice ● 342 - The Recitation Formula for Bhaṅga Ñāṇa ● 343 CHAPTER 6 The 9 Ways to Activate the Meditation Faculties to Attain Magga Ñāṇa ● 344 CHAPTER 7 Bhaya Ñāṇa ● 349 - How to practice ● 351 - The Recitation Formula for Bhaya Ñāṇa ● 352 CHAPTER 8 Ādīnava Ñāṇa ● 353 - How to practice ● 355 - The Recitation Formula for Ādīnava Ñāṇa ● 356 CHAPTER 9 Nibbidā Ñāṇa ● 357 - How to practice ● 359 - The Recitation Formula for Nibbidā Ñāṇa ● 360 CHAPTER 10 Muñcitukamyatā Ñāṇa ● 361 1. How to practice ● 365 - The Recitation Formula for Muñcitukamyatā Ñāṇa ● 366 2. Why should We practice Meditation Strenuously with One-Pointed Mind? ● 366 CHAPTER 11 Paṭisaṅkhā Ñāṇa ● 369 - 40tos Meditation ● 370 1. Being Aware of the Nāma and Rūpa as Asubha ● 374 - How to practice ● 377 - The Recitation Formulas for Paṭisaṅkhā Ñāṇa ● 377 2. Why should We practice Meditation Respectfully 10 ● and Carefully Being Aware of the Nāma and Rūpa as Anicca? ● 378 CHAPTER 12 Saṅkhārupekkhā Ñāṇa ● 381 1. How to practice ● 386 2. The Recitation Formulas for Saṅkhārupekkhā Ñāṇa ● 387 3. Briefly Contemplating Saṅkhārupekkhā Ñāṇa ● 388 CHAPTER 13 Anuloma Ñāṇa, Gotrabhū Ñāṇa, Magga Ñāṇa & Phala Ñāṇa ● 389 - A Brief Summary of the Vipassanā Process till Magga Ñāṇa ● 392 CHAPTER 14 What is Nibbāna? ● 395 1. How to Realize Nibbāna ● 398 2. How to Check Realizing Nibbāna ● 404 (1) By Phala Samāpatti ● 405 (2) By Sīla ● 406 (3) By Kilesa ● 406 CHAPTER 15 The Formulas for Recitation to Meditate for Each Vipassanā Ñāṇa ● 407 1. The Recitation Formulas for Pariggaha ● 407 2. The Recitation Formulas for Vipassanā Ñāṇa ● 408 Selected Bibliography ● 412 Glossary of Pāḷi Terms ● 414 About the Author & the Editor ● 445 Epilogue ● 448 ● 11 FOREWORD In such an age bursting rapid development, human beings are facing a great deal of suffering and inconvenience. This life soon becomes incompatible with the natural world, as they finally lose their way of life heading toward the whirlpool of material sensual pleasure and instant gratification. Nowadays, pleasurable materials are created in great abundance, modern scientists can create whatever human beings desire. Those inventions are only the trappings of innocent people, which only results in increasing disadvantageous defilements. That is similar to the idea of giving many pleasurable distractions to a prison convict in order to convince him that incarceration would be a better life as opposed to eventually being returned to a life free from bondage, or in our case, preferring the mundane world over enlightenment. There is no path, no way and no exit from sensual pleasures. The human beings are going on an unseen path without any direction, all the while they are entering into the realm of death. This is the destiny of worldly people. Human beings are the same as the chickens in a poultry farm. They lost their way to escape from the whirlpool of saṃsāra. Here, I am not a butcher to attract you by giving you food and catching you. Actually, I want to be a keeper of sanctuary who feeds the animals to survive and gives them longevity. In this book, I give you insight meditation techniques to cure your universal disease. If you practice very hard consistently, you can develop your samādhi and attain Magga ñāṇa (Knowledge of Path to Nibbāna). The human mind is mentioned as the sixth sense-door in the Buddha’s teaching. This is not a philosophy created by the Buddha, but rather it is the reality of Nature, and the natural law of the mind.
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