Notes for Mettā & Vipassanā

Retreat

What is Mettā? In the Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta, it has the following

meanings:
Well, Secure & Happy.
It’s commonly translated as loving-kindness. But Ayye Khema called it
“Unconditioned Love”. Because you do not expect anything in return.

Mettā chanting composed by Bhante Aggacitta

Sukhino vā khemino hotu (x 3)
Sabba sattā bhavāntu sukhi.tattā
Well and secure may all beings be, (x3)
May all beings be happy at heart.

Benefits of doing Mettā Meditation

He sleeps happily
He wakes up happily
He has no bad dreams
He is dear to human beings
He is dear to non-humans
Devas (gods) protect him
He is immune from fire, poison and sword
His mind can concentrate quickly
His facial expression is beautiful, clear and bright
He will have a peaceful death
If he fails to attain Arahantship, here and now, he will be
reborn in the blissful realm or Brahma realm
(English translation by Venerable Piyadasi
www.accesstoinsight.org)

The Gradual Training (MN 107)

1. Morality
2. Sense-control
3. Moderation in eating
4. Vigilance
5. Mindfulness and clear consciousness
6. Overcoming of the five hindrances
7. Jhānas
Morality
“Come you, monk, be of moral habit, live controlled by the control
of the Obligations, endowed with [right] behaviour and posture,
seeing peril in the slightest fault and, undertaking them, train
yourself in the rules of training.”
(English translation by I.B. Horner www.accesstoinsight.org)

If a yogi can observe these precepts (5, 8 or 227) scrupulously,

then they will enhance him/her to practise. Otherwise, no matter
how hard one works, there will be little benefits. That means, the
mind will not settle easily because breaking the precepts will be a
hindrance to the practice. E.g. engaging in idle chatter.
Mechanics of perception at the 6 sense door
Madhupiṇḍika Sutta (MN 18)

(see picture in Sense bases section of the Satipatthāna Sutta Study workshop
conducted by Ayasma Aggacitta www.satipatthanasbs.com)

Sense Control
Having seen a material shape with the eye….
Having heard a sound with the ear ….
Having smelt an odour with the nose….
Having savour a taste with the tongue….
Having felt a touch with the body….
Having cognized a mental state with the mind,
do not be entranced with the general appearance and the detail. For
if one dwells with the organs uncontrolled, covetousness and
dejection, evil, unskillful states of mind, may flow in
(MN 107 paraphrased by punnisa)

ADA ANCHOR
Accept all things (bodily sensations, thoughts, feelings,
fantasies, imaginaions, comments) are products of
causes & conditions.
Don’t reject, follow or ignore
Acknowledge them
Anchor mind to the five senses,
free and easy, touch & go
( As taught by Bhante Aggacitta)
Based on 5 – 6 – 1 principle
5 senses can only take present objects
6th (the mind) not only take present objects, but also objects of the
past and future
1 (the mind) can only take one object at a time

The Gradual Training

Mindfulness and clear consciousness
acting with clear consciousness
whether you are approaching or departing,……looking ahead or looking
round,…bending in or stretching out [the arms], …. carrying the outer
cloak, the bowl or robe,…obeying calls of the nature…walking, standing,
sitting, asleep, awake, talking or being silent. (practise in daily activities)
….And how, monks, is a monk clearly knowing (conscious)? Here,
monks, a monk’s feelings…thoughts….perceptions are known when they
arise, known when they remain present and known when they go away. It
is in such a way, monks, that a monk is clearly knowing.
(Sati Sutta SN 47:35)

(formal practice of meditation)

….. after the meal, the monk sits down crosslegged, holding
the body erect, having made mindfulness rise up in from of him.
 Overcoming of the five hindrances
1. Identify each one of them
Sensual desire,
ill will,
sloth & torpor,
restlessness & worry,
doubt.
2. How the arising of the hindrances happens, he knows
3. How the abandonment of arisen hindrances happens, he knows
4. How the non-arising in the future of abandoned hindrances
happens, he also knows. (Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta MN 10)

(We are instructed to make a thorough investigation of these five

Hindrances in order to understand what they are, how they arise, how
they cease and how they may be prevented from arising in future.
“Working with the Hindrances” by Ajahn Thiradhammo
How to Abandon the 5 Hindrances:
Develop 4 satipaṭṭhānā,
Listen to the Dhamma with full attention
(AN 9.64, SN 46.38, from Samatha & Vipassanā Sutta Study
workshop slide)
( for prevention of the five hindrances, see section on Hindrances of the
Satipatthāna Sutta Study workshop conducted by Āyasmā Aggacitta
www.satipatthanasbs.com)

A yogi should have internal tranquility (Samādhi) and able to have

distinct seeing of things through higher wisdom (Vipassanā) for
liberation.
(Tatiya•samadhi Sutta AN4.94 & Samatha Sutta AN10.54)
3 steps of Vipassanā =
1) How are saṇkhāras to be viewed?
2) How are saṇkhāras to be investigated ?
3) How are saṇkhāras to be distinctly seen?

For Vipassanā, saṇkhāras include anything that has the nature of arising
and vanishing.
(Samatha and Vipassanā Sutta Study workshop slide)
So, here, we can say that the 5 Hindrances are saṇkhāras.
1) How are saṇkhāras to be viewed?
They are to be viewed with Right Wisdom as they have
occurred.
Right Wisdom = high-end sampajañña.
It could also be the whole range of sampajañña (intellectual
understanding > experiential verification > spontaneous insight)
2) How are saṇkhāras to be investigated ?
(experientially in terms of anicca, dukkha, anatta
due to causes and conditions for their arising and vanishing)
3) How are saṇkhāras to be distinctly seen?
(through higher wisdom = intuitive non-intellectual
insight)
Based on Tatiya•samadhi Sutta AN4.94, explained by Bhante
Aggacitta)
In Velama Sutta (AN 9:20), the Buddha graded the worth of the following
meritorious acts in ascending order:
• Vipassana meditation that perceives impermanence of phenomena
for the length of time needed to snap one’s fingers.
• Metta meditation for the length of time needed to pull an udder
• Observing the Five Precepts
• Taking refuge in the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, Saṇgha)
• Donating a monastery (vihàradàna) to the Saṇgha from the four
directions
• Food dana (to worldling < noble disciple < Paccekabuddha<
Sammasambuddha < Sammasambuddha + Bhikkhu-saṇgha)

How to practice in daily life

• It means doing one thing at a time, attentive to

mind and body. When listening to Dhamma, just
listen. When sitting in meditation, just attend to
the meditation object. When planting a tree, just
plant. No frills, no judgments. This habituates the
mind to be in each moment. Only in such a way
can a part moment occur, here and now. There is
no reason why an intelligent, healthy committed
person should not be able to attain it with patience
and perseverance.
― (Ayya Khema)
• Practise ADA Anchor whenever you can, wherever
you are and whatever you are doing. Remember to
remind yourself to know what the body is doing, how
the mind reacts to the sensory objects. E.g. when you
come out of your house and see someone looks like the
person who has hurt you long time ago, that anger
arises. You accept that anger arises. Don’t reject the
anger or ignore it, but put your attention to the body to
feel that anger, so that the mind will know that anger
makes the body uncomfortable and acknowledge it as
“Anger has arisen”, not “I’m angry”. Then you direct
your awareness to different senses, see something,
hear some sounds, taste in the mouth, touch of the
posture quickly a few times, check the unpleasant
sensations of the anger and direct your attention to the
other senses. You may repeat these procedures until
that anger recedes to the background or vanish.
• Every morning, after waking up, do sitting of either
(Mettā Meditation or ADA Anchor) for about ten minutes.
If you still have time, chant the Three refuges, five precepts
and Karaṇīya Mettā Sutta.
• At night, chant the Maṇgala Sutta then do Mettā
Meditation or ADA Anchor for the time suitable to you.
Then do share of merits and make aspirations.
• Memorise important Dhamma subjects such as The
Four Noble Truths, the three characteristics of
existence, ADA Anchor.
Bibliography
Ganakamoggallana Sutta (MN 107) translated by I.B Horner
(www.accesstoinsight.org)
Samatha & Vipassana Sutta Study Workbook & slides
Satipatthāna Sutta Study Workshop slides
Honouring the Departed by Agggacitta Bhikkhu
Anguttara Nikaya translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi
Love, a quality of the Heart by Ayye Khema
“Working with the Hindrances” by Ajahn Thiradhammo