San1atha.

Insightfrorn a meditation tradition

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Issue 1 o Spring 1996

 Welcome ...
to the latest rebirth of the original Samatha Newsletter.
Though the name and form have changed the pool of meditators/con-
tributors is the same but perhaps grown a little in the year which has
passed since the last issue.
The choice of title leads one to consider again the meaning of 'Samatha'.
The prefix 'sama' has a variety of translations, some of which are con-
nected to the familiar ones of calm and peacefulness. Interestingly, it is
also related to the English word 'same'. It seems clear that this cannot
here mean 'identical in form and content'- as any group of Samatha medi-
tators. not to mention the contents of this publication, will demonstrate
but more connected with ' sameness' of direction or intention.
When a group of people are trying to work together a certain amount
of disagreement can be productive, providing some 'grit' to work with. But
if these people are all pulling in different directions, if there is a lot of ill
will between them then it becomes difficult for them to pool their resources
and perhaps not much can be achieved. In the same way. if different
aspects of the mind are fighting each other and pulling in opposite direc-
tions then little that is positive or creative can be brought about. So
Samatha can be viewed as a practice to overcome those things which ob-
struct and hinder these different aspects working together with a degree of
harmony and unity. This can lead to the peacefulness not of inactivity but
more like the gentle humming of a workplace or the rich stillness of a
dawn morning.
The editing group were grateful for the interesting- and amusing-
suggestions for the new name. all of which reflected some aspect of Samatha
practice, (The Respirator comes to mind here). The form of name that was
chosen was felt to make it easier for the general reader to understand what
kind of publication they were looking at. It came from a group of people
who have yet to decide how to share the prize.
It is planned that the next issue of Saniatha will be a special one
which will be part of the celebration of the opening of the new Shrine Hall
at Greenstreete this summer. With this in mind, and for those who find a
theme useful, it seems a good time to extend our awareness of Samatha to
its past, its present and its future. All contributions will be even more
welcome than usual.

Samatha 1
 Samatha
Published twice yearly
by The Swnatha Trust
Issue number! Spring 1996

Contents Production
Alex Barr
Tricia Brown
Jackie Callow
Shamshad Khan
A Deva Visits a Work Session 1 Vicki MacGregor

Pride and Prejudging 5 Contributors

Alex Barr
Francis Beresford
The Marks 7 Brian Bradbwy
Tricia Brown
The Ten Perfections 8 Paul Burton
Jackie Callow
Paul Dennison
Working with the Perfections 14 Peter Harvey
Shamshad Khan
Different Kinds of Idiots 18 Grevel Lindop
Vicki MacGregor
Deborah Raikes
Assignment for Sam Vicara 20 Sarah Shaw
and
a group working in
The Speaker of Truth 21 Cambridge

Six Elements, Six Senses 22 Contributions

for Issue 2 to:
The Editor
A Kind of Solution 27 Samatha
Manchester Centre
Six States of Ever-Minding 28 for Buddhist
Meditation
19-21 High Lane
Process 29 Charlton
Manchester
Impermanence in a Forest 30 M219DJ
by May 16th 1996
on paper or on 3.5
A Journey into Space 32 inch floppy disk.

Samatha 1
 Well, my friends, I have done it.
Yes, after many aeons of delightful existence in our own dear realms,
enjoying the luminous bliss of the devas, I have taken the plunge. Here,
on what is the front-line of existence, the human realm I have become a
two-footed, smelly, cheerful being known as a human - a strange and
awkward contradiction of words!
It is, I am assured. only for a short period! My wish distilled into
reality for a blinking of a deva eyelid. and I am allowed to taste the life
known to us only in songs. fable and legend, the 'real' world of 'everyday'
existence. where night follows day and day follows night, a curious world
of disappointment yet mysterious surprise.
But I have always wanted to do it, for to me it seems the great adven-
ture: to live in a world where one moment you might find yourself steering
on a balmy course. so like the brilliance and steadiness of our realm and
then find yourself plunging right down into the depths - oops! - the de-
scents which pull, tug and jostle like hidden waves at all times waiting to
throw us from our course. Perilous waters. I suppose that, in the end, is
what I missed in the delight and harmony of our familiar world: for no
existence lasts for ever and we cannot, even we, pretend they are not there!
So how to negotiate them- how to help others who might be struggling for
air? This has always intrigued me: how to live in the world of fearsome
gravity and danger and yet remain intact and free.
So let me tell you how it was done. A gracious deva, masking a look of
grave concern at my request. has given me four precious gifts which en-
able me to be in a human body and speak and act among them.

1 Sam.atha 1
 The first, an identifier, was a means by which I grasped at a particular
collection of skin, sweat, bones and fat and loved and tended it as my ve:ry
own, to care for and sustain in the strange weather and adversity of this
realm of the humans - the world of foam.
The second was a precious gem, which would lighten any darkness
and reveal shining messages for me whenever needed.
The third was a translator, so I could speak, act and behave as hu-
mans do.
The final - most important of all -was a mysterious injunction. I am
to take heed of four deva messages. Sent constantly to all humans, they
give clues as to how to dissolve this strange and cumbersome business of
identification and remove us to our normal home and resting place. But if
by dusk, I am told, I have not heeded these messages, I will be unable to
reverse this process and will no longer be a deva- but a human, after all.
And that is why, my friends, I stand on a Welsh hillside, in a body
requiring food, air and space, with two feet squelching on wet and muddy
ground. My body has been clothed in not unpleasant garments. But it is
I am afraid not as incandescently beautiful as I had hoped. Indeed, it is
rather smelly and is shivering a bit in the curious cold of this damp and
windy terrain. But I am on holiday and will be in touch soon.

* * *
Oh my dear friends, it is a strange and terrible thing to be a human.
The body aches, and then hurts where you've moved to stop the ache in
your leg, and then hurts so you must move again. My new friends, who
appear ennobled and radiant by virtue of the labours, appear to under-
stand things that I just cannot. Why is it that when you put your ruler
down to find a pencil the ruler has always gone and the pencil is in need of
sharpening? Why does eve:rything need something else to be done and
then you can't do it because there's something else to wait for? Why am I
so bad-tempered? Is this what it is to be human? Will I find the answer to
these questions in the course of my adventures?
Indeed a while ago, I could stand it no longer, and requested, instantly,
a deva message to illumine my troubled path. I went to the flexible space,
a sort of shed they have here, held up my gem and waited for some kind of
help. Ohl it was cold and miserable in there.
'0 Jewel,' I said. 'Please help me in my distress! Reveal to me the first
of your messages so that I may no longer 'identify' and be released once
more into the happiness and joy of my true birthright!'
'Know that you must get old' was the simple but enigmatic reply.
'How do I get old?' I wondered. I decided to ask my companions, but found
that 'getting old' was not, by and large, considered desirable: failing facul-
ties: high rates of inflation and fixed pension rates: the loss of full use of

Samatha 1 2
the body. All these drawbacks. my new friends on the work session pointed
gently out to me, mean that 'getting old' is not something that you can
really rush into - this despite the fact that from the point of view of the
deva realms, 'old' silvecy-haired beings seem to have many of the qualities
most esteemed in our own home realms: lack of excitability, an ability just
to get on with things etc etc. But if it takes too long, I must tcy another
means of loosening identification.
Dispirited therefore, I decided to tcy the second deva message. and
held up the shining jewel once more in the half lit gloom of the flexible
space.
'Know that you must die.' Perhaps this would be more immediately
possible. But on enquicy I found this too was considered a rather undesir-
able option. My sympathetic friends pointed out that such an event was
often protracted, not always pleasant and was an unreliable way of finding
one's way back to the profoundly satisfying ease of the highest heavens. It
would happen in its own time, sooner perhaps rather than later anyway,
and from the point of view of peace of mind it was an occurrence best not
meddled with in any way at all.
At this point I was beginning to get rather worried. What was I to do?
How could I return to my own dear realms, and before dusk? For a third
time I held up the jewel in the flexible space.
'Know that there is sickness.' The request to be sick did not elicit
the same guarded response I had felt with the two earlier messages. On
the contracy, people seemed most obliging in their efforts to help me get on
with it. A bin was produced immediately. It was, they pointed out, en-
tirely natural and understandable and could happen at any time, to any-
one.
But I am quite bemused. Things in the human realm always seem to
happen, in their own time, to anyone: death. sickness, old age; they some-
how just turn up and there is not much you can do about it. In fact
endemic to the human condition is a sense that you just do not know what
is round the corner, good or bad. and that you just have to find some way
of retaining composure and a general good humoured equipoise about the
whole thing while getting on with this business they all seem to call 'evecy-
day life'. And they even seem to find these conditions mildly amusing!
And would this 'evecyday life' return me to my deva realm? Did hu-
mans ever by chance. stumble upon a return route so to speak to the
world of their true birthright, the realms of the heavenly gods?
Well, they clearly seemed to be doing so. from the effect of all this work
they were doing. which enlivened their posture, sharpened their wits, and
produced a glowing radiance in so many of them. And this was most
evident during a human ritual known as a 'tea break', a delightful prac-
tice, designed I presume. so that humans might remember their true her-
itage as shining and noble beings. At this time I found I could really enjoy

3 Samatha 1
myself and enjoy, through dhamma talk, anecdote and chat that wonder-
ful applicability that seems to characterise human discussion at its best. I
enjoyed it so much however that I made a fatal error: during a kind of lull
or apparent ebb in the conversation, while we all cheerfully sipped good
hot tea and munched biscuits that crunched, a small unnoticeable pack-
age fell from the 'gift set' my gracious friend had given me.
It was inscribed with the following words:
'*CHARlSMA* - spray on added sparkle for the homesick deva.
Usual price to pay'
Well that did seem rather interesting - perhaps it might prevent a too
speedy return to building work!
I sprayed it on quickly, mmm! . . . it smelt divine. This was wonder-
ful! I found that I now had a kind of protective layer against 'everyday life.'
I did not have to put in the light effort needed to create routes for oneself
and others to the deva realms. I did not need to be aware of what was
actually occurring in myself and others, a fine and playful art requiring
much skill and prowess no, I was automatically in a deva realm anyway! I
charmed, I sparkled, my words shimmered seductively with the others ...
but, by the end of the tea break I noticed an odd effect, I felt quite tired and
drained! And the jewel in my ring . . . unfortunately, the more I had
sparkled, the less my precious jewel had done so: it was now quite black
and leaden. I went to the flexible space but it stubbornly refused to reveal
to me any messages at all. I had lost the fourth message and so now can
never return home! Oh my friends!
What am I to do? I stared blankly into the gloom. I who had thought
myself so superior to the beings of this realm. Now I am stuck, with no-
where further to go.
I was so sad at this complete and apparently irreversible identification
that I burst, homesick, into tears - and did not notice the darkening of
shadows in the world outside. A gong sounded in the silence. It was dusk.
I have, I suppose, a kind of choice. Either I give myself up to dull, acquies-
cent despair, and allow myself to be buffeted and pushed by the tides of
fortune, good, or mostly, ill.
Or ... I could throw in my lot with these humans. I could practise as
they do - with only the unexpected to light the way!
Hope. Yes. That is all I can do. The shadows deepen around me. The
gong has rung again, I have made up my mind. I shall join the others as
they make their way to the odd, purposeless building they have been con-
structing, carrying cushions with them. The sky is filled with lights of
turquoise, green and gold, the air is soft and fine. I can smell lavender and
mint. The fourth deva message ... I suppose I will never now know! But
I will try and find out what it was.
What is it they do that gives them such a companionable peace? Adieu.
And do we ever meet again?

Samatha 1 4
 Pride and Prejudging

There are those who wish to leave their mark,

and those who would leave no trace.
Those who would do anonymously.
and some wanting a famous face.
There are 'Peter Pans' among us,
and those who are fully grown.
There are some who seek the limelight,
and those with a light of their own.

There are those who seek the silence

and some who want the roar.
There are those who wish for nothing,
yet others who seek for more.
Some who search for freedom,
those who seek attention,
Those who seek the truth.
others can't bear it mentioned.

Those who are a friend to all,

others a friend to none.
Those wishing to understand
others wanting to get things done.
Some who sit in solitude,
others can't stand the feeling.
Those who have no regard for looks,
others wanting to seem appealing.

There are those who want to change the world,

some who can accept it 'warts and all.'
Some who are quite open,
others hide behind their walls.
Some who are deep thinkers,
others spend time in dreams.
Are we really so divided?
Is it really as it seems?

5 Samatha 1
 It struck me quite strongly
that this was just a view.
That to behave in certain ways
was to reflect the truth.
To take on 'right' behaviour
was to be on the 'good guys' side.
Then I realised slowly
this was spiritual pride.
To use these mannerisms.
in which we all take part.
Means nothing if they don't
come truly from the heart.

Then suddenly it struck me

that it was rather funny
That the quiet one in the corner
may tiy to take your money.
That the wild one at the party,
a joker to the end
May also turn out to be
a true and loyal friend.
That those who seek for fame
perhaps can't blossom in the dark
But gain great strength from trying
to always make a mark.

That those who always tell the truth

may be also indiscreet
and the one who seemed so friendly
may ignore you in the street.
That those who seem quite hard on us,
do it from compassion,
Some who are always 'doing good'
may only be following fashion.
While some professing animal rights
could hit you in the eye,
Some others who really like their steak.
could never harm a fly.

There isn't really black and white. only shades of grey.

It seems better not to prejudge those who don't act in a certain way.

Samatha 1 6
 A curious story has been heard from the foothills of the Himalayas in
northern India. Quite recently some tracks had been found along the
snowy mountain paths of the region. The footprints were of human form
and had some notable features. The heels of the imprints were firm and
deep, the soles of the footprints left a distinctive wheel-like impression and
the overall footfall was remarkable in the evenness of its tread.
The being who had left these marks had not been seen and news and
rumour of these events spread far and wide. Scientists from across the
world gathered there to gain more knowledge. Newsmen and media were
drawn to record the events. Cranks and gurus from far and wide travelled
to the area. They all began to follow the path of this being.
At first these disparate groups were at loggerheads. They held meet-
ings to resolve each group's claim that they had the most right to be there.
The scientists maintained that the pursuit of knowledge should be fore-
most. The media men demanded that the rest of the world had a right to
know and that their cause should be given precedence. The cranks and
gurus contested that the most important thing was to cast the footprints
in gold and begin worshipping them.
However, just as the spokes of a wheel are far apart at the rim, then
come closer and finally overlap towards the centre so, as they followed the
marks, they began to lose their opinions and differences. They simply
became a group of people intent on finding the one who had made these
marvellous tracks. Much of their baggage, such as microscopes and meas-
uring instruments, notepads and cameras, astral charts and divining rods
were left strewn along the way as they lightened their load in order to
hasten their pursuit.
They became a band of followers. However a most paradoxical and
curious change had come over them. They no longer had the idea of ever
finding this being- and yet they still followed the path. The reason they
gave for this was that by following the path they would come to realise the
true nature of their own being. And it might even be said that their own
footprints had changed.

7 Samatha 1
 " How many dhammas are there,
lord, issuing in Buddhahood?"
II 11
•a
"There are, Sariputta, ten
dhammas issuing in Buddha-
hood.
a
II
What are the ten? "
"Giving, Sariputta, is a dhamma
issuing in Buddhahood. Virtue,
renunciation, wisdom, energy,
•11
patience, truthfulness, determi-
II nation, loving kindness and equa-
nimity are dhammas issuing in II
•11 Buddhahood."

Thus spoke the Exalted One.

.~)
•II
II
Bhuddavamsa II, v. 76
(as given in CariyapitakaAttakatha) a
• •
•••••••••
Samatha 1 8
IJ Nibbanadhatu Enterprises
GRADUAL TRAINING FOR BUDDHAHOOD

Applications are invited for

places on this course

G. VI~IYA

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/fl. fiPEJ<I<H'J.

Applicants should be of reasonably sound mind and body and willing to

apply themselves in a compassionate and skilful manner. No previous ex-
perience is required as a structured programme will be provided although
allowances will be made for those with evidence of prior learning. A playful
attitude would be an advantage as would a strong commitment to com-
plete the course.

The programme involves a complete process divided up into ten distinct

yet inter-dependent stages each with equal value. Each stage develops a
particular Parami (perfection.)

The course provides a skills based approach that has practical application in
daily life. It combines personal responsibility for task achievement with
opportunities to work with and on behalf of others. With practice comes an
awareness of being under the guidance and protection of the Triple Gem.

Those interested will know when to apply.

9 Samatha 1
 The teaching about the ten paramfs lays great emphasis on seeing them
as a process beginning with generosity and ending in equanimity. Com-
pleting this process is seen as essential for one wishing to know fully Bud-
dha mind. This is vecy much tied up with the idea that in some way
enlightenment is not just an individual concern but rather that all beings
are in a similar predicament. Thus there is a need to develop a compas-
sionate attitude towards fellow travellers and to find skilful means to as-
sist others in the process of coming directly to know freedom.
If one brings to mind the image of a great river that needs to be crossed
to reach the other shore, it would be useful if a sturdy bridge could be built
and maintained so that all manner of beings can use it.
The paramfs represent the planks for the bridge, evenly spaced. The
planks are held together and linked with each side of the river by supports
- on one side compassion and the other skilful means.
In this image the first step across is generosity and the last step is
from equanimity yet the bridge requires them all to be in place.

Dana Generosity is given as the first step along the path. It provides
the foundation for all that follows.
There are a number of reasons for this. First is that we are all capable
of developing generosity whatever our circumstances. Three levels of dana
are described which may be linked to three aspects of our being: body,
heart and mind.
A lot is made of the need for a Bodhisattva to be prepared again and
again to give away, when there is a need, possessions, limbs and life. To
actually consider the implications of this at a literal level gives a sense of
generosity not necessarily being a soft option.
There are many examples throughout histocy of people who exemplify
this degree of generosity when something is of such importance that the
response is to give away all that they have. On a daily basis, following the
Buddha's advice of little by little, we may respond by donating money. or
goods or skills (limbs) or time (life) as and when we can.
The heart level becomes involved when beings give confidence or dis-
pel fearfulness in another. Freedom from fear or doubt is a great gift. A
father reassuring a child on awakening from a nightmare or the intention
to build a shrine hall so that people can come for refuge to be in a safe
place are examples of this.
The mind level involves the gift of dhamma through teaching. We are
involved now because of the Buddha's gift to the world.
Thus there are often times when a response from any or all of these
levels is possible.
A second reason for dana being placed at the beginning is to do with
the process involved. The act of giving (if skilfully done) opposes ill will
and transforms the energy locked into greed. There needs to be a loosen-

Samatha 1 10
ing of self centredness as giving involves a movement away or a giving out
from the self.
Sometimes it may even challenge our view of self, thus working on the
third and deepest root of the cause of suffering: delusion.
Thirdly, giving increases pleasant feeling and happy states both in the
donor and the recipient, and also reduces suffering. The Buddha's path
involves acknowledging suffering but also being happy as you travel.
Diina is very much concerned with acting in the here and now. It also
provides outlets for the other perfections to be expressed.

Sila Conduct or virtue is concerned with life. It is refining the charac-

ter through paying attention to how behaviour causes or lessens suffering.
There is a strong emphasis on developing self respect or awareness of
inner worth and becoming gradually aware of the consequences of action.
This dual aspect protects ourselves, others and the general level of skilful-
ness around. If diina is concerned with relating to the world without greed,
sila is concerned with refining relationships, removing greed and hate.
One may become a good example to others.

Nelckhamma Renunciation - the mind turns inward more. Here there

is attention to dealing with hindrances and gradually turning away from
being over involved or delighted by sense experience. Sometimes this may
be expressed as a feeling of urgency about the need to escape from the
limitations of the sense worlds and seek the peacefulness of the concen-
trated mind. Here there is the wish to explore the Jhiinas - of interest to
Samatha meditators? Being skilled in renunciation may assist others in
their search for tranquillity and clarity.

Ptdmii Wisdom - when the heart settles and becomes refreshed and
still, the mind can engage in discrimination. The patterns of the mind can
be known, both the skilful and unskilful. Through investigating the three
signs of impermanence, suffering and no-self, the mind may become more
empty of delusion. Although skilful means supports each piirami, it is at
this point that wise counsel may be given. or a wise solution sought.

Y"Jriya Effort or Strength - this quality is said to have been a special-

ity of the Buddha. It comes after paiiiiii as it is to do with wise effort. There
is knowledge of what needs to be done. Strength is required for the en-
couragement and maintenance of skilfulness and to undertake great en-
deavours. One with this quality can be a 'tower of strength' for others.

Khanti Patience - this provides a counterbalance to viriya. It is some-

times referred to as cheerful endurance. Anybody who has practised medi-
tation for a while requires this! Viriya may establish a process which then

11 Samatha 1
needs its own time and pace to proceed. There are times when the teach-
ing, some advice or a process is not fully understood: if khanti is active
there comes the acceptance that. 'All in good time ... ' Someone with this
quality can be very reassuring to others.

Sacct1 Truthfulness- having patience involves an awareness of differ-

ing time scales. Sacca requires an alignment with that which is known to
be true. It is to do with only speaking truthfully, becoming like the clear
note experienced in striking a bell. It is also concerned with being true to
oneself and thus thinking and acting with integrity. Truthfulness inspires
trust in others and the capacity to listen. It is said that truth is first
received through hearing.

A.dhl1f8na Determination or Resolve - if truthfulness is present this

leads to a clarity of purpose. One with adhittiina is steadfast and thus able
to keep the goal clearly in mind. It involves the ability to keep on to the

Samatha 1 12
end and the power to transform situations by clear intent and sense of
direction. It helps others not to waver.

Mettii Loving kindness - adhittiina keeps the mind firmly fixed on the
goal, mettii keeps the quest alive. It is an active reminder that the path is
concerned with the wellbeing of others. One begins with friendliness to-
wards self and those that are met. The intention is to treat beings as good
friends and so abide and act from loving kindness at all times (eventually).
Even, as the Buddha said, ' If a robber is sawing off your arm at the time.'
A being with mettii is a good friend. If wisdom gives rise to skilfulness,
mettii is the basis for the development of compassion.

Upeldchii Equanimity - the warmth of mettii prevents the detachment

of upekkhii from becoming cold. The mind becomes balanced and able to
take a wide view not swayed by preference or rejection. A mind with upekkhii
active has the space and freedom to respond or not as required. It is the
open-mindedness required so that the heart can turn to freedom or act
with generosity.

The piiramfs may be viewed in ways other than a one-way process. If

the process is reversed it shows the way that the unconditioned can act
through the conditioned, resulting in skilful action.
Also it can show how beings develop character types: 'a warmhearted
fellow', 'generous to a fault', 'single minded' etc. By becoming centred and
bringing to mind the piiramfs and then reviewing a particular situation, it
would be possible to see which piiramf or combination of piiramfs would be
required to bring about change.

Thus have I overheard:

'I'm not convinced by all this equality,' said Panna. 'AU you really need
is an understanding of emptiness and then the problem is sorted.'

'You were always the clever one,' replied Dana. 'What's the point of
knowing withnut doing?

' Where will you two be when the going gets tough?' Viri.ya pausedfor
a moment.
' Settle down.' advised Nekkhamma.

A knowing smile was noticed onKhanti'sface as he rocked in the chair

once more.

13 Samatha 1
 ((~))l

·-·~.
,!
,' '
I

,..,
I

Working with the Ten Perfections

The twelve links of dependent origination describe how through proc-
esses of thought and action we fashion ourselves and, being thus fash-
ioned, respond in conditioned ways to the phenomena with which we come
into contact. We are used to the idea that enlightenment is stepping out of
this circle by cutting through the links of conditioning. But to become a
Buddha more must be done than cutting through: those same links must
be used to achieve a refashioning of all aspects of being until. in bringing
each aspect to perfection, all opposing qualities are driven out.
So to work with the ten perfections is not to let go and break free so
much as to build and accumulate, through conditioning, over and over
again. In this a practitioner works above all with the world within which
they move and act as an ordinary and real person, and of which sitting
meditation is only one aspect. For the qualities the perfections point to
are called upon through the need to respond to external situations and to
overcome internal responses arising from attachment, aversion, fear and
delusion - the need to save self and others from suffering.

Samatha 1 14
 This is not a matter of perfectionism but of cobbling together whatever
can be made to serve at the time. How can one bring to the many
unskilfulnesses of oneself, the-ordinary-person. a touch of wholesome-
ness to alleviate the pain or purifY the pleasure? Not an easy person to
teach, of course. The message simply can't be got through to some bits of
them. while some other bits actively don't want to know. Therefore one
looks for the easy way in, the way which strengths and circumstances
support and which doesn't threaten this person into fighting back.
So. for example, where there is attachment and longing, perhaps one
can find a little nekkhamma, turning away from the involvement with the
thoughts to a more mindful stillness which can let pleasant feeling go to
mettii and nourish one, yet with no loss of joy.
Or, where there is depression, perhaps diina, which can bring faith; or
sacca, which requires no changing of what is there but only a willingness
to look at it squarely in all its confusion and difficulty and in seeing, to
accept, and in accepting what is seen, to open the door to paiiiiii or mettii or
khanti.
Playing with a child or cycling to work, taking a political stand or deal-
ing with a major life-crisis: with each of them one's self. the-ordinary-
person, can take a tiny step closer to Buddhahood.

Observations from a study group

• Prior to our study of the ten perfections. I would have said nekkhamma
was akin to climbing out of one box into an even more confined one. In-
stead it is about release from self-imposed limits and exploring the world
as it is.
• What is the wise thing to do? What is the wise thing to do?' I asked
myself over and over again. Turning inwards. I managed to pass through
both anger and panic by writing down how these felt. After a while, they
disappeared and were replaced with some constructive ideas. Energy fol-
lowed quickly and I then found moments of patience and quiet. For me.
wisdom was followed by energy and energy by patience.
• When confronted with a situation which usually triggers a negative re-
petitive response. stepping back and observing mindfully gives us space
where patience arises: from patience comes wisdom and a fresh view-
point. Confrontation becomes communication which nurtures diina and
mettii or sometimes energy and resolve. The whole process has a strong
sense of truth. The experience is somehow recorded and can be recalled.
+The process of investigation was particularly useful. I was continually
modifYing and changing my views- of what the perfections were, how they
worked with each other and how they were linked to daily life. What had
seemed unattainable became enabling qualities which lead to freedom.

15 Samatha 1
Samatha 1 16
17 Samatha 1
Uery Serious and Important Information
about Different Kinds of Idiots
There was once an organisation for spiritual development
which had a ve:ry strange tradition. From time to time the
members would hold a banquet, and after the meal the
Teacher or his assistants would propose toasts; not just
ordina:ry toasts, but Toasts to the Idiots.
These toasts were long and complicated, and they paid
homage to many different kinds of Idiots - sometimes as
many as twenty-one, all of them numbered and holding
suitable titles. Number 1 was the Ordina:ry Idiot. Number 2 was the
Super Idiot; 3 was the Arch Idiot; 4 and 5 were the Hopeless and the
Compassionate Idiots; and so on. Other kinds of Idiots on the list were: 6
Squirming; 7 Square; 8 Round; 9 Zigzag; 10 Enlightened; 11 Doubting; 12
Swaggering; 13 Born; 14 Patented; 15 Psychopathic; 16 Polyhedral- and
so on.
What was an Idiot? Well, that wasn't quite clear. An idiot is a fool; but
the word also comes from a
Greek root meaning 'I make
my own.' Perhaps an idiot
was someone who could
sometimes make the
Teaching their own; or per-
haps it just meant an ordi-
na:ry idiot. Thus number 9.
the Zigzag Idiot, may have
meant someone who works
on something themselves.
inevitably going too far in

Samatha 1 18
one direction but then learn-
ing something and going the
other way - maybe too far
again- but still making progress on a Path. Or maybe
the Zigzag Idiot was just an ordinary idiot who stum-
bles about, going backwards and forwards and get-
ting nowhere fast?
We do know that Idiots from 17 to 20 were those
of advanced spiritual development, and number 20,
the Unique Idiot, was said to be God.
Alas, all good things come to an end and at last
the organisation abandoned this interesting custom.
Were there no more idiots? Or was everyone such a Serious and Important
Idiot that no-one wanted to bother with silly toasts any more?
Well, perhaps we can find out. As a very Serious and Important Spir-
itual Exercise, we could try asking ourselves which kind of Idiot we would
describe ourselves as today: Puzzled? Angry? Conceited? Spiral? Pontifi-
cating? . . . .There's no reason why we shouldn't find many more Idiot
titles to choose from.
After all, it would be a pity if the supply of Idiots
ran out.

19 Samatha 1
 Rn Rssignment for Sam Uicara. State lnuestigator
Episode I - 'Desperately seeking C/tta'

His client offered substantial rewards. His task was simple, to track
down a dame called Citta. She was said to move fast. as evanescent as the
stream of bubbles rising from the slice of lemon in his soda water.
Of course she was heav-
ily involved with the Cetasika
family and all its different
clans. She had been seen
with Johnny 'The Twitch'
Uddhacca and blind Mat
Moha who had their finger in
eve:ry slightly shady deal in
town. She knew intimately
Danny 'the icebox' Dosa and
his gang who cared little for
the rest of town, and Fats
Lobha and the 'fizzball' boys
who were out for a good time.
But they said she only looked
her best, and shone like a dame really should, in the company of the incor-
ruptible Joe Sati and his 18 friends.
Rumour had it Citta could change identity faster than you could flick
TV channels so Sam would need to keep his feet on the ground. He could
easily end up chasing shadows down the narrow, winding streets of
Sankharaville.
He ran over what he knew. Some said meeting her was like a slug in
the guts, others like a pleasant thrill, others like coming home and some
like nothing much at all. For some the encounter was like a bolt from the
blue or an unexpected breeze but for most it had a remarkably familiar feel
like you had known her before somewhere. Sometimes she associated with
Mitch Ditthi the concrete waistcoat maker and sometimes not, and some-
times she associated with her wise old grandmother who knew the ways
and wherefores and sometimes not.
There were even rumours of a few who could meet her face to face and
followed her over the city limits to whatever lay beyond. All in all, she was
one complex dame. Sounded like she might be worth investigating ...
To be continued
Vic<Ira- Examining Citta- Heart/Mind Cetasika - Qualities of Citta
Uddhacca - Restlessness Moha- Ignorance Dosa - Ill Will
Lobha- Greed Sati - Mindfulness Di!!hi - Views
Sankhara- Formations/Habits

Samatha 1 20
 The Speaker of Truth
The Thirty-Two Marks Sutta tells us that the Tathagatha, in previous
existence as a human being, ' ... having abandoned false speech, ab-
stained from false speech, was a speaker of truth, united with truthful-
ness, reliable, trustworthy, not a deceiver of beings.'
As a result, '. . . by storing up of this kamma, after the breaking up of
the body and after death he was born in a happy and bright heaven realm.'
On rebirth as a a human being, one of the marks he found was a filament
arising between the eyebrows, white like soft cotton.
The habit of truthfulness creates clarity and non-manipulativeness,
and enables us to say exactly what needs to be said in any situation -
neither more nor less. Strengthened over many lives, this habit results in
the thirty-first mark of the Great Being: a filament arising between the
eyebrows. The filament may be seen as that which can connect us to other
beings, whether through right speech or through an unspoken feeling such
as metta.

21 Samatha 1
 Six elements, six senses
The senses are usually found in this order in the texts:

+ The eye, or sense of vision registers the fiery energy of things in the
form of light.
+The ear, or sense of hearing requires unhindered space to permit
sound to travel, and also helps one to locate things in the space around
one from any direction.
+ The nose, or sense of smell takes in air-borne odours.
+ The tongue. or sense of taste works through moisture or water which
allows one to communicate with and 'drink in' flavours.
+The body, or sense of touch puts one in contact with the solid, earthy
aspects of the world.
+The mind, or thought is a form of discernment/consciousne~s.

Focussing on the four senses corresponding to the four primary elements:

eye

f1
r
e

earth air

w
a
t
e
r

Samatha 1 22
 The middle two elements - water and fire - are opposite each other,
suiting their opposing natures: likewise with earth and air. Space can
be seen to contain the first four. and discernment is central to an aware-
ness of any element.
Aligning the six senses with the elements one gets:

Nose

w
,."
B
R

This gives a useful background for a mandala-model of a person. A

diagram of this mandala-model is given on page 24.
Samyutta Nikiiya N 194-96 gives an allegory:

There is a border town. meaning the body, kaya. with six gates, mean-
ing the six senses. and a wise warder of the gates. meaning mindjiLlness.
Pairs of swift messengers, meaning samatha (calm) and vipassanii (in-
sight) meditation. come from each of the jour directions, and are directed
by the warder of the gates to the 'Lord of the town', meaning discern-
ment. who sits 'in the midst. where jour roads meet', meaning the jour
great elements. Each of the messengers goes to the Lord and delivers
the 'message of truth'. meaning Nibbiina.

23 Samatha 1
 Calm & Insight
Seeing a Teacher

EYE
GATE

BODY
GATE

TONGUE
GATE
A mandala-model
of a person
i
Calm & Insight
Tasting Dhamma

Samatha 1 24
 Thus, just as a town might develop around a crossroads, as buildings
gradually develop there and then outwards, so a person develops from the
union of discernment and the four great elements, along with space.
Anguttara Nikaya 1 176 relates to this:

Based on the six elements. monks, there is descent into the womb. This
descent taking place, the sentient body comes to be. From the sentient
body as condition is the sbifold sense-sphere ...

One can now visualise oneself as such a 'border town'. Here, the cen-
tre of the town is a crossroads, in the middle of which sits the 'Lord', the
discernment element. The four roads represent the four primacy elements.
They lead out through four archways in the square-shaped inner walls of
the town, and then on to four of the town's six gates- representing the six
sense 'doors' - in the outer hexagonal walls. The other two gates represent
the ear-door and the mind-door.
Once sound has entered the ear-door. which is aligned to the space
element, it can reach the space of the inner citadel from all directions,
through arches in the four corners of the inner walls. Likewise, once
thoughts have entered the mind-door, they can approach the centre from
all directions. They do so, though, through underground secret passage-
ways, suggestive of the hidden nature of thought.
From the four directions come the pairs of messengers. Those ap-
proaching the eye-door could be seen to represent seeing and meeting a
teacher. Those approaching the ear-door and nose-door could be seen to
represent hearing and 'breathing in' the Dhamma. Those approaching the
tongue-door could be seen to represent 'tasting' the Dhamma. Those ap-
proaching the body- and mind-doors could be seen to represent
'touching' and understanding the Dhamma.
Between the inner and outer walls, the watchful 'warder of the
gates' patrols and guards the sense-doors.

Mindfulness occupied with the body

Bhikkhus, when one thing is developed and repeatedly practised. it leads
to a supreme sense of urgency, to supreme benefit, to supreme surcease
ofbondage, to supreme mindfulness andfull-awareness, to acquisition
of knowledge and vision. to a happy life here and now. to realisation of
the fruit of clear vision and deliverance. What is that one thing? It is
mindfulness occupied with the body.
Anguttara Nikaya 1 43

25 Samatha 1
Samatha 1 26
 A Kind of Solution
From time to time, it is suggested to meditators that some work on
mettii - loving kindness - practice would be useful. So, one begins by
trying to develop a feeling of warmth and kindness for oneself and then to
extend this gradually to include all other beings.
I don't know about you, but there are times when I find that this is not
so easy! Mettii practice is helpful when there is resistance, or ill will, in the
mind. So, although it seems strange, it is perhaps not surprising that at
these times the mind may resist the suggestion, 'May I be well and happy'!
'Me be well and happy? Don't be silly! That's quite out of the question !'
And the more one tries, the more the mind fights back. Very silly!
This may be the time to try a more sneaky approach, to find a way
around the resistance and so avoid a direct confrontation, as. like every-
one else, one does want to be well and happy really.
One way of doing this is to try something so seemingly insignificant
that it doesn't raise the hackles in the mind again. For example, the sug-
gestion. 'May my big toe be well and happy,' can slip between the firing
lines. The mind seems to find it quite hard to fight that one. 'Oh all right
then, can't really find a reason to object to that,' and a feeling of softness
and kindness spreads into the end of one's foot.
Just this may be enough. Or one can gradually include the rest of the
body - 'May my feet be well and happy,· and so on through the legs, up
through the arms, and up through the body to the top of the head. Ill will
can reside in the strangest places - in the knees, in the wrists and fin-
gers? Around the face? The mind - or is it the body - is a funny thing.
Or one could try an MI5 style approach of secret codes and disguise.
Perhaps imagination and visualisation can lull the combative forces of the
mind into a sense of security. For example. the image of milk carries many
secret messages of love and kindness. One can try just imagining that one
is surrounded by a sea of milk. imagining its gentle touch, its clear white-
ness. and its almost sweet fragrance. After a little while one can also
imagine the other beings in the house also surrounded by a sea of milk,
and then one's neighbours and so on, outwards, as
tJ far as one likes.
Or else one can imagine being sprinkled by jewel-
~ 1 coloured rain - gold, blue, yellow, red, white - and
the freshness and brightness of the colours. and then
gradually imagine all other beings being sprinkled in
the same way. And so there are many ways to play
with to help the mind let go of habitual ways of react-
ing and to grow in the direction it really wanted to go
in all along.

27 Samatha 1
 Six States of Ever-Minding

... Mahanama. what time the Noble disciple minds the Tathagata. his
heart is never overwhelmed by passion. never overwhelmed by hatred. never
overwhelmed by infatuation; then. truly. is the way ofhis heart made straight
because of the Tathagata. And with his heart's ways straightened.
Mahanama, the Noble disciple becomes zealous of the goal. zealous of
Dhamma, wins thejoy that is linked toDhamma; andofhisjoy, zest is born;
when his mind is rapt in zest. his whole being becomes calm; calm in being,
he experiences ease; and of him that dwells at ease, the heart is composed.
Mahanama. of this Noble disciple it is said: Among uneven folk he
lives evenly; among troubled folk he lives untroubled: with the earfor Dhamma
won. he makes become the ever-minding of the Buddha.
. . . the ever-minding of Dhamma ...
. . . the ever-minding of the Sangha .. .
. . . the ever-minding of Sila .. .
. . . the ever-minding of Dana ...
. . . the ever-minding of the Devas.
Mahanama. the Noble disciple who has won the fruit. grasped the
message, lives this life in abundance.
From The Book of the Sixes: 'Mahanama'

Samatha 1 28
 Process

There is an earthy starting point

Where, closed up, tight and firm,
Waits energy, quietly.

A way may open gently,

Awareness, sensations flowing out.
Or quickly darting, heatedly,
Like a flame or laser sharp.

Or. expanding lightly

It touches upon limits,
Gets caught up but stays defmed.

Decisiveness may cut in

Forcing the edges out,
Opening new raw ground.
Sometimes this effort is needed.

At other times the path

Moulding close up to the boundaries.
Accepts them,
Melting into understanding.

Or else these limits

Are worked with,
Until they disappear- or change.

29 Samatha 1
 Impermanence in a forest
Grisedale Forest is tucked away in the southern Lake District between
Coniston Water and Windermere. It is a quiet spot where both roe and red
deer can be seen if you are patient enough to sit and wait. It is also a place
where, since 1977, sculptures can be found.
Made only of natural materials, some of the works are like the breath
when it is gross- obvious by their presence- a gaily painted Red Indian, a
large moose whose head is also the handle of a gun. Others are more
subtle and more obviously of the four elements and, being two or three
years old, they are returning to them before your eyes. The sculpture of
two dogs climbing a wall. chasing a model deer is made of bracken, sticks

Samatha 1 30
 and mud. The sculptor seems to want to portray the death of the deer but
the continuing cycle of life and death is striking as you note that the dogs
are themselves in the final stages of disintegration.
It is obvious that the artists accept the impermanence of their work. It
must take weeks if not months to create some of the models and during
this time they would become aware of the changing seasons and climate
and the pace and energy of the forest.
Grisedale itself
would change during
this time. Rivulets
would quickly form af-
ter storms and old
trees would blow
down. The artists who
agree to work here
must accept that each
sculpture will decay
and change like the
surroundings.
Even to walk for
one hour will sharpen
the senses. Each
sculpture is titled. 'Wolves' for example can be found by walking off the
track. Two wolves stand close by. Only by looking up and then carefully
around at the trees will a further three be spotted. Wild Boar Clearing'
contains three boars made of brush and twisted roots. Upon investigation
of the clearing, another
four can be found. A
casual gaze will spot the
hunting dogs men-
tioned above but the
walker must be awake
to notice two more, al-
ready over the wall and
their quarry, the deer,
at some distance still.
blending with the
brown dead pine nee-
dles on the forest floor.
If you are travelling in
the Lake District, stop
off and take a mindful
walk in the Grisedale
Forest.

31 Samatha 1
 A Journey into Space

The Final Frontier?

The crew for the 'Elements' mission arrived one by one at Cape
Goodheart for what they thought would be another training flight. They
had come from the four corners to be there. Some of them had met before
at technical briefings or previous training sessions, others were meeting
for the first time.
After settling themselves in their overnight accommodation and eating
a light meal, they were expecting a pre-flight briefing from the captain to
explain the purpose of the training, but all he would say was that it was
'exploratory.' With some trepidation and a sense of uneasiness they went
to bed hoping for a good night's sleep before the big day.

Pre-flight Preparations
After the mundane activities of washing and dressing etc .. they were
taken out to the launch pad. They could see by the size of the craft that
they were to go much further than a few orbits round the earth.
The pre-flight checks began: the navigation systems. safety systems,
supplies etc. When all systems were 'go' the captain ordered them into
their space suits. These suits. though painstakingly made-to-measure in
every detail seemed suddenly uncomfortable, seeming to scratch and dig
into places they had not previously noticed. They started to wonder why
the suits were so uncomfortable; was there something wrong with them?
Had they put them on properly? With a rising feeling of apprehension,
they realised there was no going back.
They sat and waited, and then waited and waited some more. All was
quiet, peaceful and silent. The crew had a feeling of being separated from
each other - a group of individuals in space suits. Then each one entered
the ship.

Sealing the Hatches

The calm atmosphere of the pre-flight chamber was disturbed slightly
as they climbed into their places on board. The hatches were closed and
sealed. An initial feeling of claustrophobia was replaced by doubts about
the efficacy of the seals and the possible existence of cracks. Eventually
this gave way to a feeling of safety and security and being protected by the
ship. All was quiet again as they waited. They were all in this together.

Samatha 1 32
The Launch
The crew installed and the ship now ready, the countdown began,' six,
five, four, three, two, one'. There was a mighty roar as the engines fired up
and the ship began vibrating. It was time to remember the years of train-
ing though the simulators now seemed pale compared to the real thing.
The noise and vibration were quite distracting and they were expecting to
be suddenly blasted into the sky - not necessarily in one piece. However
the take-off was so slow and smooth it took them a few moments and a
glance out of the hatches to realise that they had left the earth.

Into Space
As they passed through the final layers of the atmosphere, the rockets
were ejected. The noise and vibration subsided and the crew became aware
of the quieter sounds and humming which rippled gently through the si-
lence. As the ship became more peaceful. they began to appreciate what it
was really like to be in space.
Although they had all undergone periods of training in conditions of
weightlessness the transition to this new way ofbetng was less than smooth.
They kept being surprised by the unexpected way their bodies reacted now
that the gravitational effect of the earth no longer pulled them. It seemed
that the slightest touch or movement sent them careering through the
spaces in the ship in unfamiliar directions and not always to the destina-
tion they had intended!
The early part of their joumey progressed as expected, although later
close inspection of the ship's log revealed hints that trouble was brewing.
Suddenly the normally steady readings from the gravity detectors plum-
meted. signalling the arrival of a black hole. a region of immense gravita-
tional force which threatened to suck them in. This could be counteracted
by increasing power output to maximum and so negotiating a way past,
but sometimes this proved
ineffective and then the
ship would be helplessly
dragged in. These were re- They kept being surprised
ally testing times! by the unexpected way their
The immensity of the bodies reacted . . .
forces involved had the ef-
fect of collapsing both time
and space. and if they succumbed completely to fear and panic the ship,
their companions. and even their awareness of themselves were lost for a
while in the maelstrom and they suffered greatly. When they dared to
open their eyes and ears again they found themselves somehow back at a
much earlier stage of their joumey, their power stacks depleted and a
great deal of time and effort was needed to return them to the same point.

33 Samatha 1
But then. that is the way space travelling is learnt!
As their experience grew they would manage to maintain just a speck
of composure when one of these black holes was detected. By keeping an
eye on the monitor screens and noting the rise and fall of the various
indicators they were able to steer a way through its strange and swirling
depths. As they emerged beyond them, they found that space and time
and their whole awareness had somehow been transformed. They had en-
tered a different universe in which the starscape all round them and the
space within them was pervaded by light and ease and making the world
they had left seem, on recollection, rather laboursome and unwieldy. Even
the ship seemed to handle quite differently, requiring much less force to
take it on its way and needing less directing, as if it had acquired some
new sense of where it had to go. And so they ventured on ...

*
We encounter them again, some time in the future, at Cape Goodheart
where they are engaged in the mundane activities of an earth-bound space
station. Yet it is possible to recognise the crew of that mission, perhaps by
the quiet but confident way they are performing their duties, or by a cer-
tain shine which comes, perhaps, from the stars they now proudly wear
on their shoulders.

Samatha 1 34
 THE SAMATHA TRUST

The Trust was founded in 1973 with the aim of

encouraging and supporting the tradition of Samatha: a
form ofBuddhist practice which awakens inner stillness.
a base for clarity and understanding.
Samatha classes are held around the country and
residential courses are offered at our national centre in
Wales. For further details contact:

The Samatha Trust

Greenstreete
Llangunllo
Powys
LD7 lSP

The Samatha Trust is a registered charity (No.

266367) and relies on donations for its income so any
contribution will be welcome.

Sam.atha 1
 Samatha Groups in England and Wales

For information please contact:

ALTRINCHAM: Rosemary Rose ............... 0161 861 0880

BOLTON: Graham Caterall .................. 01204 304 602

BRISTOL/BATH: Rupert Gethin .............. 01272 411 902

CAMBRIDGE: David and Rachael Hall ........... 01223 249 732

CHESTER: John Stipling ................... 01244 372 325

DURHAM/SUNDERLAND: Peter Harvey ........ 01913 843 913

LNERPOOL: David Forster ................. 0151 480 4472

LLANGUNLLO: Lizzie Somerfield ............. 01544 260 039

LONDON: Fran Warren .................... 0181 874 1760

MANCHESTER: Sarah Yorke ................ 0161 860 7951

OLDHAM: Mario Wlodarczyk ................ 0161 330 4968

OXFORD: Colin George .................... 01865 726 312

PEMBROKESHIRE: Marjorie Jack ............ 01348 811 583

PETERBOROUGH: Peter Jones ............... 01480 413 199

ROSSENDALE: Margaret Bailey .............. 01706 874 691

STOCKPORT: Sheila Davies .................0161 434 7683

WILMSLOW: Rob Adkins ....................01625 825709

and in California, U.S.A.

.
BERKELEY: Chris Morray-Jones .............. 510 843 9643

Samatha 1
'!