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Meditation in The Theravada Abhidhamma: Isdom Cademy
Meditation in The Theravada Abhidhamma: Isdom Cademy
Lesson 1:
Calm Abiding and Insight
Reading:
“Serenity and Insight in the Nikāyas”
by Bhikkhu Bodhi
SERENITY AND INSIGHT IN THE NIKĀYAS
4. The Task of Serenity and Insight (Aṅguttara Nikāya Twos: Final Repetition Series)
Two things—serenity and insight—are to be developed for the destruction of seventeen
defilements: lust, hatred, delusion, anger, hostility, denigration, insolence, envy, miserliness,
deceitfulness, craftiness, obstinacy, rivalry, conceit, arrogance, intoxication, heedlessness.
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5. Four Ways to Arahantship (Aṅguttara Nikāya 4:170)
The Venerable Ānanda said this: "Friends, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhunī has declared the
attainment of arahantship in my presence has done so in one or another of these four ways.
(1) "Here, a bhikkhu develops serenity first and insight afterward. As he is developing
serenity first and insight afterward, the path is generated. He pursues this path, develops it, and
cultivates it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned
and the underlying tendencies are uprooted.
(2) "Again, a bhikkhu develops insight first and serenity afterward. As he is developing
insight first and serenity afterward, the path is generated. He pursues this path, develops it, and
cultivates it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned
and the underlying tendencies are uprooted.
What is meant by “serenity” here? It would not make sense to take this as the concentration of the supramundane
path, for this serenity is to be developed in order to reach the path. Hence it can be taken to mean either jhāna
developed subsequent to insight, or access concentration, or (according to Mahasi Sayadaw) it can mean “the
momentary concentration associated with insight” (Manual of Insight, p. 52).
(3) "Again, a bhikkhu develops serenity and insight in conjunction. As he is developing
serenity and insight in conjunction, the path is generated. He pursues this path, develops it, and
cultivates it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned
and the underlying tendencies are uprooted.
Yuganaddhaṃ bhāveti. Comy says that each time he attains a meditative attainment (samāpatti), he emerges and
explores it by way of its conditioned phenomena. And having explored its conditioned phenomena, he enters the next
attainment. Thus, having attained the first jhāna, he emerges and explores its conditioned phenomena as impermanent,
etc. Then he enters the second jhāna, emerges, and explores its conditioned phenomena, and so on up to the base of
neither-perception-nor-non-perception. Since, however, yuganaddha means literally “yoked together,” some interpret
the term to mean that in this mode of practice serenity and insight occur simultaneously. The commentarial system
does not acknowledge this possibility but several suttas might be interpreted as suggesting that insight can occur within
the jhāna and does not require the meditator to withdraw before beginning contemplation. See in particular Majjhima
Nikāya 52 and 64 and Aṅguttara 9:36.
(4) "Again, a bhikkhu's mind is seized by restlessness about the Dhamma. But there
comes an occasion when his mind becomes internally steady, composed, unified, and
concentrated. Then the path is generated in him. He pursues this path, develops it, and cultivates
it. As he is pursuing, developing, and cultivating this path, the fetters are abandoned and the
underlying tendencies are uprooted.”
Dhammuddhaccaviggahitaṃ mānasaṃ. Comy explains that the mind is seized by the “ten corruptions of insight."
Nothing in the text suggests the corruptions of insight are involved. I understand the person being described here as a
practitioner who reflects deeply on the Dhamma, acquires a sense of urgency, and then finally settles down and gains
insight when meeting with favorable supporting conditions.
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gains the higher wisdom of insight into phenomena but not internal serenity of mind. (3) Still
another gains neither internal serenity of mind nor the higher wisdom of insight into phenomena.
(4) And still another gains both internal serenity of mind and the higher wisdom of insight into
phenomena.
(1) "Bhikkhus, the person among these who gains internal serenity of mind but not the
higher wisdom of insight into phenomena should approach one who gains the higher wisdom of
insight into phenomena and inquire of him: 'How, friend, should conditioned phenomena be seen
(daṭṭhabba)? How should conditioned phenomena be explored (sammasitabba)? How should
conditioned phenomena be discerned by insight (vipassitabba)?’ The other then answers him as
he has seen and understood the matter thus: 'Conditioned phenomena should be seen in such a
way, explored in such a way, discerned by insight in such a way.' Then, some time later, he gains
both internal serenity of mind and the higher wisdom of insight into phenomena.
(2) "The person who gains the higher wisdom of insight into phenomena but not internal
serenity of mind should approach one who gains internal serenity of mind and inquire of him:
'How, friend, should the mind be set up (saṇṭhapetabba)? How should the mind be composed
(sannisādetabba)? How should the mind be unified (ekodi kātabba)? How should the mind be
concentrated (samādahātabba)?' The other then answers him as he has seen and understood the
matter thus: 'The mind should be set up in such a way, composed in such a way, unified in such a
way, concentrated in such a way.' Then, some time later, he gains both the higher wisdom of
insight into phenomena and internal serenity of mind.
(3) "The person who gains neither internal serenity of mind nor the higher wisdom of
insight into phenomena should approach one who gains both and [ask both sets of questions].
The other should then answer in both ways. Then, some time later, he gains both internal serenity
of mind and the higher wisdom of insight into phenomena.
(4) "The person who gains both internal serenity of mind and the higher wisdom of
insight into phenomena should base himself on those same wholesome qualities and make a
further effort for the destruction of the taints.”
7. Stages in Calming the Mind (Aṅguttara Nikāya 3:101, The Soil Remover)
"Bhikkhus, there are gross defilements of gold: soil, grit, and gravel. Now the soil remover or his
apprentice first pours the gold into a trough and washes, rinses, and cleans it. When that has been
removed and eliminated, there still remain middle-size defilements in the gold: fine grit and
coarse sand. The soil remover or his apprentice washes, rinses, and cleans it again. When that has
been removed and eliminated, there still remain subtle defilements in the gold: fine sand and
black dust. So the soil remover or his apprentice washes, rinses, and cleans it again. When that
has been removed and eliminated, only grains of gold remain.
"The goldsmith or his apprentice now pours the gold into a melting pot, and fans it, melts
it, and smelts it. But even when this has been done, the gold is not yet settled and the dross has
not yet been entirely removed. The gold is not yet malleable, wieldy, and luminous, but still
brittle and not properly fit for work. But as the goldsmith or his apprentice continues to fan, melt,
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and smelt the gold, a time comes when the gold is settled and the dross has been entirely
removed, so that the gold becomes malleable, wieldy, and luminous, pliant and properly fit for
work. Then whatever kind of ornament the goldsmith wishes to make from it—whether a
bracelet, earrings, a necklace, or a golden garland—he can achieve his purpose.
"So too, bhikkhus, when a bhikkhu is devoted to the higher mind, (1) there are in him
gross defilements: bodily, verbal, and mental misconduct. An earnest, capable bhikkhu
abandons, dispels, terminates, and obliterates them. When this has been done, (2) there remain in
him middling defilements: sensual thoughts, thoughts of ill will, and thoughts of harming. An
earnest, capable bhikkhu abandons, dispels, terminates, and obliterates them. When this has been
done, (3) there remain in him subtle defilements: thoughts about his relatives, his country, and
his reputation. An earnest, capable bhikkhu abandons, dispels, terminates, and obliterates them.
When this has been done, then there remain thoughts connected with the Dhamma. That
concentration is not peaceful and sublime, not gained by full tranquilization, not attained to
unification, but is reined in and checked by forcefully suppressing [the defilements].
"But, bhikkhus, there comes a time when his mind becomes internally steady, composed,
unified, and concentrated. That concentration is peaceful and sublime, gained by full
tranquilization, and attained to unification; it is not reined in and checked by forcefully
suppressing [the defilements]. Then, there being a suitable basis, he is capable of realizing any
state realizable by direct knowledge towards which he might incline his mind.”
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9. How to Contemplate with Insight (Saṃyutta Nikāya, chap. 22)
(12) “Bhikkhus, form is impermanent, feeling is impermanent, perception is
impermanent, volitional formations are impermanent, consciousness is impermanent. Seeing
thus, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple becomes disenchanted with form, feeling,
perception, volitional formations and consciousness. Disenchanted, he becomes dispassionate.
Through dispassion [his mind] is liberated. When it is liberated there comes the knowledge: ‘It’s
liberated.’ He understands: ‘Destroyed is birth, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done
has been done, there is no more for this state of being.’”
(13) “Form is dukkha, feeling is dukkha, perception is dukkha, volitional formations are
dukkha, consciousness is dukkha. Seeing thus … his mind is liberated ….
(14) “Form is nonself, feeling is nonself, perception is nonself, volitional formations are
nonself, consciousness is nonself. Seeing thus … his mind is liberated ….
(15) “Form is impermanent. What is impermanent is dukkha. What is dukkha is nonself.
What is nonself should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom thus: ‘This is not mine, this I
am not, this is not my self.’ Feeling is impermanent…. Perception is impermanent…. Volitional
formations are impermanent…. Consciousness is impermanent. What is impermanent is dukkha.
What is dukkha is nonself. What is nonself should be seen as it really is with correct wisdom
thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’ Seeing thus … his mind is liberated….
He understands: ‘… there is no more for this state of being.’”
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Comy: “He directs the mind of insight (vipassanācitta) to the unconditioned deathless element by way of hearing,
by way of praise, by way of learning, and by way of concepts thus: ‘Nibbāna is peaceful.’ He directs the mind of the
path (maggacitta) to nibbāna simply by making it an object, not by saying, ‘This is peaceful, this is sublime.’ The
meaning is that he directs his mind there, penetrating it in this mode.”
“Again, a monk dwells contemplating phenomena as phenomena in terms of the six internal
and external sense bases. How so? Here a monk understands the eye, he understands forms, and
he understands the fetter that arises dependent on both; and he also understands how there comes
to be the arising of the unarisen fetter, and how there comes to be the abandoning of the arisen
fetter, and how there comes to be the future non-arising of the abandoned fetter.
“He understands the ear, he understands sounds… the ear and sounds … the nose and odors
… the tongue and tastes … the body and textures … the mind and mental objects, and he
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understands the fetter that arises dependent on both; and he also understands how there comes to
be the arising of the unarisen fetter, and how there comes to be the abandoning of the arisen fetter,
and how there comes to be the future non-arising of the abandoned fetter.
“In this way he dwells contemplating phenomena as phenomena internally, externally, and
both internally and externally…And he dwells independent, not clinging to anything in the world.
That is how a bhikkhu abides contemplating phenomena as phenomena in terms of the six internal
and external bases.
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