Meditation which brings suffering

It is our common belief as Buddhists that we can not attain Nibbana

without resorting to meditation. Did you think for a moment that we
need to utilize meditation not only for attaining Nibbana but also for
our day to day activities such as driving a car, working etc.?
We can not succeed in anything that is performed without resorting to
meditation. It should be noted that all our achievements are the
results of our meditative practices. Therefore, it should also be noted
that we are going through a meditative process at all times. In other
words, meditation is a natural, spontaneous process which does not
require a specific day, time and effort.
Meditation means performing or practicing an activity repeatedly in
order to acquire skills or proficiency. Without constant practice,
nothing can be accomplished as expected. In our day to day life, we
engage in numerous practices which are analogues to meditative
practices. At the same time, all these meditative practices bring about
instantaneous outcome as well. Therefore, we need to remember that
meditation follows the law of cause and effect with instantaneous
results.
Under these circumstances, you may tend to think, is it possible that
we are confronted with numerous types of suffering as a result of our
meditative practices?. Of course, it is possible!. Let us take some
examples for instances of grief, suffering from our day to day life.
Death of parents, loved ones is a source of immense grief to any
individual. Certain occasions, a death of a loved one could be an
unbearable, lifelong grief. A loss of a property or wealth may cause
immense mental pain in individuals. Becoming infected with dangerous
diseases, inability to achieve expectations are also the sources of
immense mental grief. Association with the undesired and separation
from the desired also create mental stress and discomfort. Do you
know that the cause of grief, stress and discomfort in respect of all
these instances to be yourmeditative practice?.

Lets substantiate this supposition with an example of a loving son or a

daughter of an individual. This child could be his only hope for future.
He holds high expectations in respect of this childs health, education,
job prospects, future partner etc. He expects this child to rise to the
level of his expectations in the future while hoping that this child would
take care of him in latter stages. In this backdrop the child is a great,
invaluable asset to this individual. He is preoccupied with these
expectations most of the time. His thoughts are constantly focussed on
achieving the expectations set for his child. Every such thought leaves
an impression in the brain [mano-dhatu - (mind element)]. Repeated
thought process aimed at achieving above goals solidifies these
impressions in the brain with greater strength. As these retained
mental impressions gain much strength, they keep flowing to the mind
as memory. These mental impressions which flow to the mind
constantly as thoughts take the form of habits gradually. These habits
are classified as gotra (lineage) in Buddhism. The Buddha specified
that these habits are not subjected to decay (gottam najirathi).These
mental impressions are our habitual thoughts linked to our numerous
belongings in some way.
We have acquired or gained access to all our belongings with the
expectation of potential usefulness of them. We dont gain possession
of anything that is not useful to us. We constantly contemplate or
engage in a meditation through habitual thoughts in regards to the
useful belongings which are in our possession. We, consciously or
subconsciously, contemplate the permanent existence of our useful
possessions. We wish all our useful possessions to last permanently to
serve us. We are inclined to think that all our useful possessions would
continue to be with us on a permanent basis.
You may probably disagree with this proposition and argue that you
dont expect any of your belongings to be your possession on a
permanent basis. However, you may realise the degree of mental
agony that you would experience at the loss of a loved one or a useful
belonging. You need to understand that the primary cause of a similar
mental agony is due to the degree of your clinging onto a lost loved
one or a personal belonging. The higher the degree of clinging to a
loved one or a personal belonging, the higher the mental pain it
generates. This is the first type of habitual meditation that we
engage in our day to day life.

The second type of habitual meditation that we are involved in is the

thinking process that our belongings are bound to provide us with the
desired benefits and comforts positively.
When we put this proposition to test, we would realise the degree of
mental pain and agony we would experience when we no longer gain
the desired benefit or comfort from a personal belonging or a loved
one. The higher the desired benefit or comfort one desires, the higher
the degree of mental pain one experiences when the benefit is no
longer obtainable.
The third type of habitual meditation is the thinking process that our
belongings, loved ones should be at our disposal all the time; they
could be manipulated at will. If a belonging is mine and if it is
supposed to be beneficial to me, then it is expected to last at my own
will. For instance, we expect our children to live according our whims
and fancies, in keeping with our habitual mental tendency. This is an
unrealistic situation. Children neither behave according to our wishes
nor they are mentally incapable of functioning according to our will.
When things do not happen in keeping with our preconceived mental
impressions, it causes immense mental agony to the individual.
When we examine the common, habitual thinking pattern of
individuals, it becomes evident that individuals associate belongings
and loved ones on the basis of three misconceptions, viz; nicca
(permanent), sukha (satisfying), atta (under the control of a self).
According to the Buddhas teachings, beings cling onto their
belongings and proceed on a habitual meditation practice, on the
basis of nicca, sukha, atta, from birth to death.
Close examination of the habitual meditation process with regard to
the personal belongings reveals that it is devoid of the three
characteristics of nicca, sukha and atta. Not only the personal
belongings, but everything that exists in the world doesnt possess the
quality of permanence. This fact has even been scientifically proved
beyond any doubt. The Buddha, who perceived perfectly the way of
formation, falling apart, building, and breaking down of the three
planes of existence (loka), elucidated that nothing permanent,
satisfying and under control of a self could be found in these three
planes of existence. This means that our habitual meditation with

regard to our belongings on the basis of nicca, sukha and atta is a

misconception, a falsehood. One who leads a life filled with
misconceptions and falsehoods is bound to experience suffering,
discomfort at all times. When one clings to impermanent belongings
with a habitual meditative mindset of permanence, one is confronted
with a great deal of mental pain when these impermanent belongings
take natural course of breaking apart and wrecking.
In this circumstance, it would be prudent to deviate from a meditative
mindset based on unrealistic, untruthful thinking process and switch to
a truthful meditative mindset in order to lead a life filled with
happiness.
What is this truthful meditative mindset?. We should get accustomed
to a meditative thinking process based on anicca (impermanence),
dukkha (unsatisfactoriness) and anatta (no-self). This is the real truth.
Nothing lasts forever; nothing is able to provide us with the desired
happiness. Nothing has the characteristics of a permanent existence.
This is the Blessed Ones message to us. So, we need to venture into a
meditative thinking pattern, from dawn to dusk, based on anicca,
dukkha and anatta which would result in a life devoid of suffering,
unsatisfactoriness, and pain etc. with immediate effect.(akalika).
One who meditates in this manner would not grieve when ones pen
falls down and breaks into pieces, as one has already acquainted
oneself with constant meditation based on anicca , dukkha and anatta
to confront such an event. When ones child passes away,the childs
death doesnt cause any mental pain as one has practiced
impermanence through constant meditation based on anicca, dukkha
and anatta. In this manner, one gets first hand experience as to how
truthful meditation eliminates suffering and brings happiness almost
immediately.
We do not make any conscious effort in our day to day life, from dawn
to dusk, to be preoccupied with the meditation which brings suffering
to us. By the same token, we should engage in a continuous process of
meditation, without allocating specific time or day, based on anicca,
dukkha and anatta with regard to all our belongings. This is the only
way for happiness.

Therefore, lets abandon the meditation which brings suffering and

begin the meditation which brings about happiness from today.
based on an article written by Kotte Sri Devananda Thero to Thisaran publication.
Athula Sibera

athulasibera@yahoo.ca