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Observations on the Art of Meditation by Translated from the Thai This work may be freely copied, printed, and redistributed
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We have to catch sight of the sensation of knowing when the mind
gains knowledge of anything and yet isn't aware of itself, to see how
it latches onto things -- physical form, feeling, perceptions,
thought-formations, and consciousness. We have to probe on in and look
on our own. We can't use the teachings we've memorized to catch sight
of these things. That won't get us anywhere at all. We may remember,
"The body is inconstant," but even though we can say it, we can't see
it.
We have to focus on in to see exactly how the body is
inconstant, to see how it changes. And we have to focus on feelings --
pleasant, painful, and neutral -- to see how they change. The same
holds true with perceptions, thought-formations, and so forth: We have
to focus on them, investigate them, contemplate them to see their
characteristics as they actually are. Even if you can see these
things for only a moment, it'll do you a world of good. You'll be able
to catch yourself: The things you thought you knew, you didn't really
know at all....This is why the knowledge we gain in the practice has
to keep changing through many, many levels. It doesn't stay on just
one level.
So even when you're able to know arising and disbanding with
every moment right in the present: If your contemplation isn't
continuous, it won't be very clear.
You have to know how to contemplate the bare sensation of arising
and disbanding, simply arising and disbanding, without any labels of
"good" or "bad." Just keep with the pure sensation of arising and
disbanding. When you do this, other things will come to intrude -- but
no matter how they intrude, it's still a matter of arising and
disbanding, so you can keep your stance with arising and disbanding in
this way.
If you start labeling things, it gets confusing. All you need to
do is keep looking at the right spot: the bare sensation of arising
and disbanding. Simply make sure you really keep watch of it. Whether
there's awareness of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, or tactile
sensations, just stay with the sensation of arising and disbanding.
Don't go labeling the sight, sound, smell, taste, or tactile
sensation. If you can keep watch in this way, you're with the pure
present -- and there won't be any issues.
When you keep watch in this way, you're keeping watch on
inconstancy, on change, as it actually occurs -- because even the
arising and disbanding changes. It's not the same thing arising and
disbanding all the time. First this sort of sensation arises and
disbands, then that sort arises and disbands. If you keep watch on
bare arising and disbanding like this, you're sure to arrive at
insight. But if you keep watch with labels -- "That's the sound of a
cow," "That's the bark of a dog" -- you won't be watching the bare
sensation of sound, the bare sensation of arising and disbanding. As
soon as there's labeling, thought-formations come along with it. Your
senses of touch, sight, hearing, and so forth will continue their bare
arising and disbanding, but you won't know it. Instead, you'll label
everything: sights, sounds, etc., and then there will be attachments,
feelings of pleasure and displeasure, and you won't know the truth.
The truth keeps going along on its own. Sensations keep arising
and then disbanding. If we focus right here -- at the consciousness of
the bare sensation of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile
sensations, then we'll be able to gain insight quickly....
If we know how to observe things in this way, we'll be able to
see easily when the mind is provoked by passion or greed, and even
more easily when it's provoked by anger. As for delusion, that's
something more subtle...something you have to take a great interest in
and investigate carefully. You'll come to see all sorts of hidden
things -- how the mind is covered with many, many layers of film. It's
really fascinating. But then that's what insight meditation is for --
to open our eyes so that we can know and see, so that we can destroy
our delusion and ignorance.
K. Khao-suan-luang
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