Wisdom and Knowledge Series, post #12. Buddhism, post #8 (12.2.7):
This writing was a solution to the problem I raised up: blue light is bad
for the eyes. The post about blue light was originally made at the 'Dhamma
Wheel' Theravada Buddhism message board, but when I tried to post in the topic
at that message board, my solution to the problem of blue light I raised --
which I wrote with a separate word processing program -- the text when pasted
there, became one size of text. So, I posted a reply in that topic saying I
would post my solution to blue light at this here my 'Samsarictravelling Blog',
where my pasted text kept all the different text sizes. Here is the link to the
topic: https://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=31095
Now, not just having given the URL to that topic, I will also copy &
paste that whole topic here below:
How to Protect Your Eyes From the Negative Effects of Digital Devices and Blue Light
...
The second — and more serious — impact that too much technology
consumption can have on our eyes is damage from blue light exposure.
Blue light is just what it sounds like — it’s a type of light that gives
off a blue color. Blue light is harmful, because it’s the highest
energy wavelength of visible light. This energy is also able to
penetrate all the way to the back of the eye, through the eyes’ natural
filters, and that’s the problem.
...
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-matth ... 70433.html
A different article:
The Lowdown on Blue Light:
Good vs. Bad, and Its Connection to AMD
The Good Side of Blue Light
Not all blue light is bad. The labeled blue-turquoise light range, which
is from 465 nm to 495 nm, is essential to our vision, the function of
our pupillary reflex, and in general to human health. It also helps to
regulate our Circadian sleep/wake cycle.11 So blue light in general can
have healthy affects on vision as well as the body, and it is this
blue-turquoise light that tends to have these beneficial effects.
Inadequate light exposure means inadequate blue-turquoise light, which
can throw off our Circadian biological clock and our sleep/wake cycle.
So this blue-turquoise light really plays a vital role in the general
health of the individual.
https://www.reviewofoptometry.com/ce/th ... amd-109744
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Re: I guess I better change my blue-colored avatar IF IT IS TRUE (?).
Hi everyone. I did a new writing called 'How To
Keep One’s Eyes In Healthy Condition' on a word processing program, but
don't know how to repost it at Dhamma Wheel as html format (am not so
great with computers) so that it comes as text mainly when I paste it
here, so I then posted it at my 'Samsarictravelling Blog':
https://samsarictravelling.blogspot.ca/ ... -post.html
It is about how to keep one’s eyes In healthy condition.
From,
Ai
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Okay, that was the whole topic at 'Dhamma Wheel' that I reposted in this writing. Now, here is the new writing titled 'How To Keep One's Eyes In Healthy Condition'. This writing shows a spiritual teaching that maybe not all scientists believe to be with significant truth, possibly. That is: chi energy. You may be able to use these spiritual teachings, and my own ideas and ideas discussed (lower abdominal breathing Buddhist sitting meditation, my Majjhima Nikaya 19 way, and the Dhamma of Theravada Buddhism in general), to possibly help your own health, or maybe even heal your own health (I not knowing if that is possible or not; maybe it is, I don't know). Here goes:
How To Keep One’s Eyes In Healthy Condition
People might want to know a way to keep one’s eyes in
healthy condition. I find that breathing from the lower abdomen as a way of
life – meaning, it is the natural way I breath all the time – coupled with
Buddhist sitting breathing meditation, lead to a situation where my eyes
watered tears out, which cleaned my eyes. Yes, my eyes watered up, teared up,
and flowed down my cheeks. This happens after some time has passed in my Buddhist
sitting breathing meditation. I think it (only?) starts when I had my first yawn while doing my sitting meditation, then every yawn after it, more tears flow out of my eyes...
As to the type of Buddhist sitting breathing meditation that leads to this yawning, then tears flowing out of my eyes, I do not want to reveal everything about my practice these days, so I will not say in what way or ways I have been doing Buddhist sitting breathing meditation since I wrote the 'my Majjhima Nikaya 19 way' article 12 years ago -- and the following article of 8 years ago. I will say this, though: if you want to come to a state where your yawn leads to eyes getting watery, and you yawning, just do the lower abdominal breathing way in your Buddhist sitting breathing meditation, WITHOUT MY MAJJHIMA NIKAYA 19 WAY EVEN, AND SEE IF IT HAPPENS. If it does not happen, then it may just be something that is peculiar with me. Or it might not be something peculiar with me, and you do come to yawning and tearing up. If you have not experienced this yawning and tearing up, and want to, just keep on with the lower-abdominal-breathing-Buddhist-sitting-meditation, and maybe one day it might happen. Or not. After time and you see it did not happen without this Majjhima Nikaya 19 way of mine, then try doing it with this Majjhima Nikaya 19 way of mine.
If it still did not happen (the yawning then tearing up), and you still would like it to, then this is where it might have only happened to me after I had changed in some way(s) -- this is where the secret(s) is/are which I won't say -- how I practice (still in my mind, though) the Majjhima Nikaya 19 with my lower abdominal breathing. So your luck runs out here, because I won't reveal how I have modified my Majjhima Nikaya 19 way since the time I wrote the first article 12 years ago (and the second article 8 years ago)... Now that has been said, let's get back to what I wish to share with you: I have to give knowledge and opinions, to give
you the foundation for this lower abdominal breathing. Then I will repost two writings
I made about this lower abdominal breathing (where it was coupled with the
Majjhima Nikaya 19 sutta, and called ‘my Majjhima Nikaya 19 way’ when I wrote
it then). So here goes:
Babies, it seems, breathe
abdominally
Abdomen — Babies often suck their
abdomens in and out while breathing, a pattern called abdominal breathing. This
too is normal.
I
read something like this somewhere years ago, but do not remember where I read
it (I think maybe in an eastern spirituality book (maybe Taoism?)), and here I
add my own opinions to what I can basically remember. I would call it an
opinion, to protect the truth (the truth of reality), so don’t take my word for
it (don’t take my word for what reality truly and only is (but it could be
mostly like what I say, or totally like what I say??!! (or not))):
Babies naturally breathe from their
abdomens and are full of life-force, but if we are not taught the benefits of
abdominal breathing as taught in spiritual eastern traditions, as we age we
slowly breathe higher up in our chest, and when we are very old and about to
die, we breathe up in our upper chest.
Three Treasures (traditional
Chinese medicine)
Jing, qi, and shen are three of the
main notions shared by Taoism and Chinese culture alike. They are often
referred to as the Three Treasures (sanbao 三寶),
an expression that immediately reveals their importance and the close
connection among them. The ideas and practices associated with each term, and
with the three terms as a whole, are complex and vary considerably in different
contexts and historical periods. (2008:562)
What jing
is:
According to tradition, Jīng is stored in the kidneys and is
the most dense physical matter within the body (as opposed to shén which is the
most volatile). It is said to be the material basis for the physical body and
is
yīn
in nature, which means it nourishes, fuels, and cools the body. As such it is
an important concept in the
internal martial arts. Jīng is also believed
by some to be the carrier of our heritage (similar to
DNA). Production of
semen, in the man, and menstrual blood (or pregnancy), in the woman, are
believed to place the biggest strains on jīng. Because of this, some even
equate jīng with semen, but this is inaccurate; the jīng circulates through the
eight extraordinary vessels and creates marrow and semen, among other
functions.
[ MY NOTE TO THIS: Production of semen, in the man, and
menstrual blood (or pregnancy), in the woman, are believed to place the biggest
strains on jīng. Because of this, some even equate jīng with semen, but
this is inaccurate.
Jing creates semen, is not semen. ]
Theoretically, jīng is consumed continuously in life; by
everyday stress, illness, substance abuse, sexual intemperance, etc.
What qi
(also spelt as chi or ch'i) is:
Qi
氣 "vitality, energy, force; air, vapor; breath;
spirit, vigor; attitude"
[ MY NOTE TO THIS (I could be fundamentally wrong, though,
but just my own idea): Qi is ‘energy’, the electrical energy found with our
bodies. ]
What shen
is:
Shen 神 "spirit; soul, mind; god, deity; supernatural
being"
What is
the Lower Dantian (also spelt as dan t'ian, dan tien or tan t'ien) and where is
it located?
Lower dantian (下丹田,
Xià Dāntián): below the navel (about three finger widths below and two
finger widths behind the navel), which is also called "the golden
stove" (
金炉 pinyin: Jīn lú) or the namesake
"cinnabar field" proper, where the process of developing the elixir
by refining and purifying essence (
jing) into vitality (
qi) begins
The Lower Dantian: (Jing)
located two inches below the navel, it is the source of energy which builds the
physical body and allows us to develop and use Qi and Shen.
What is
the importance of the Lower Dantian?
Taoist
and
Buddhist
teachers often instruct their students to centre the mind in the navel or lower
dantian. This is believed to aid control of
thoughts and
emotions. Acting
from the dantian is considered to be related to higher states of awareness or
samadhi.
…
The term dantian used by itself usually refers to the lower
dantian, which is considered to be the foundation of rooted standing,
breathing, and body awareness in
qigong,
Chinese martial arts, and other martial arts.
The lower dantian has been described to be "like the root of the tree of
life".
What does
the Lower Dantian correspond to in the Japanese culture?
What is
the importance of the Lower Dantian to martial arts?
The Hara or lower Dantian, as conceptualised by the Chinese
and Japanese
martial arts, is important for their practice, because
it is seen, as the term "Sea of Qi" indicates, as the reservoir of
vital or source energy (Yuan Qi). It is, in other words, the vital centre of
the body as well as the centre of gravity. For many martial arts, the extension
of energy or force from this centre is a common concept.
[26]
Many martial art styles, amongst them Aikido, emphasise the importance of
"moving from the hara",
[27]
i.e. moving from the centre of one's very being – body and mind. There are a
large number of breathing exercises in traditional Japanese and Chinese martial
arts where attention is always kept on the
dantian or hara
to strengthen the "Sea of Qi".
What does
the Lower Dantian correspond to in Hinduism (if anything at all)? Two answers I
found:
One
person’s answer at ‘The Dao Bums’ message board, in 2014:
Posted by 寒月
Hanyue on March 5, 2014:
On
2014-03-03 at 10:28 AM, 4bsolute said:
What is the Hindu equivalent to the
Lower Dantien?
There is no direct equivalent, not in a conceptual sense. As Hundun
says there is no, "now store/focus in the lower dantian".
I am lucky, my friend is the inheritor of a little known yogic line. I
have discussed this with him. They do not conceive of a lower dantian in the
way Daoists do. That being said, it does not mean they do not develop or
cultivate the lower dantian. They do. So what does that say?
It confirms Lao Zi's base teaching, the method and the time put in
matters more than the words or labels.
Best,
https://www.thedaobums.com/topic/33959-what-is-the-hindu-equivalent-to-the-lower-dantien/
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Another person’s (or other peoples’?) answer on
Wikipedia:
The lower dantian corresponds to the yoga concept of the
swadhisthana
chakra.
In
yoga
philosophy, it is thought to be the seat of
prana
that radiates outwards to the entire body.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dantian
The swadhisthana chakra mentioned just above :
Svadhishthana (
Sanskrit:
स्वाधिष्ठान,
IAST:
Svādhiṣṭhāna,
English:
"one's own base"),
or
sacral chakra, is the second primary
chakra
according to
Hindu
Tantrism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svadhishthana
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Now
reposting of my two writings:
First
writing:
Posted on June 26, 2006 – almost 12 years ago -- to my Yahoo! Group
‘life-atmosphere’. It is Message #1525 ( LINK TO ORIGINAL: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/life-atmosphere/conversations/topics/1525
):
I also posted the below new writing in two other discussions (this here
being the third place I post it), except here I have the newest corrections
able to be added, because the other two places I do not have the post editing
option shown as an option anymore. Hope this will be the last ever edit I make
of this writing of mine, and the last place I post it at:
I write this and if anything of it is not true, I am sorry for that:
This is the the way I said I constantly came back to -- though it does not
really give me any happiness, really.
It is the Majjhima Nikaya 19. The whole sutta is at the end of this writing of
mine.
(Bruceallyn12, you may want to read this. And also here's something that you
can do, if you choose so: you could go to a certain asian country -- won't say
which one --, and live a comfortable life on little money (you change the money
into their money, and you'll enjoy much sense pleasures for the same amount of
money that would get you much (?) less in a "developed country". You
may -- or may not -- find someone to marry there, if you want that... And you
also could decide to just stay for part of a year. Here's just one more thing
you could do (you may have found something else for your life, instead of that
job consisting of killing animals, if I read correctly that you did kill frogs,
and had sort of a hermit life; I may be incorrect that was what you said your
life was): live with less material stuff, but more spiritual stuff (spiritual
happiness???) is another thing you could do.
In the Majjhima Nikaya 19, it says there are three right thoughts:
renunciation, non-ill will, and harmlessness; and there are three wrong
thoughts: sense desires, ill will, harmfulness.
When you are in a suffering situation -- like not having enough money -- you
have to lower your desires -- the first right thought: renunciation -- to
conserve energy, and money. You "force" yourself to spend your money
on food that would be more beneficial for your health/physical well-being, than
for food that has less calories and less benefit for your health/physical
well-being (this is also the first right thought: renunciation), for one thing.
You go more inside, inner, instead of outer (this is also the first right
thought: renunciation).
From thoughts of renunciation also, you get chores done, like washing your
clothes, which keeps your external environment clean, makes you happy. This is
the not-lazy buddhist aspect of this Majjhima Nikaya 19 way of mine.
As well, there is, right now, conflict with others in my life, but one time I
took up again this Majjhima Nikaya 19 or something, where I thought
'renunciation, renunciation, renunciation, ...' and it let me give up the outer
world, affected less by the conflict still in my mind, found peace by going
inwards. It happened like this, or is it part imagination what I just said?
Thoughts of non-ill will -- the second right thought -- is part of my normal
"common person's mind", until something brings up ill-will ...
'Metta' (loving kindness) is non-ill will when developed to a higher level.
I've heard it written something like this (or at least, hopefully close to
it?)?: "noble thought always has the quality of harmlessness to it"
-- the third right thought. Compassion ('karuna') is the antidote to cruelty or
something (I cannot remember for sure, but this compassion antidote thing was
written in the book 'The Buddha's Ancient Path'), this cruelty equal to
thoughts of harmfulness (the third wrong thought).
I've also heard it written something like this: At any moment where we decide
to act, we can choose to follow right thought (renunciation, non-ill will
harmlessness), which is a great thing to do.
This right thought -- thoughts of renunciation, non-ill will, harmlessness --
is also the second path factor in the Noble Eightfold Path, which in turn is
the Fourth Noble Truth of the 'Four Noble Truths'. The Four Noble Truths are a,
or is the, fundamental teaching of Theravada Buddhism.
It has helped me gain a higher peace in sitting meditation (on a chair), by
thinking "renunciation" and moving my body less due to renunciation,
and thereby experiencing peace after being physically immobile and calm. My
meditation is sort of being mindful of my breathing in my lower abdomen, but it
is really not strong mindfulness, because I entertain, or follow sometimes, get
entertained by, the "monkey mind" (sometimes maybe even finding
wisdom from this discriminating mind when in calmness from meditating?). But
one thing (I am describing here something I have already said above, right?):
if I keep on meditating, I come to a calm where I am more mindful of my
breathing. What can keep me meditating? Keeping on thinking of 'renunciation'.
Keeping on thinking of 'renunciation' means to renounce the desire to move my
body. Not desiring to move my body leads to stillness. Stillness, slower
breathing, more mindfulness, calmness.
But in my daily common life (outside of sitting meditation), I sometimes go the
seeking the sensual route -- sense pleasure route -- this being like a
moderation between renunciation (the Majjhima Nikaya 19 right thought) and
"sensuality", for happiness (due to too much effort, we need to
relax, and enjoy; see the Sona Sutta after the Majjhima Nikaya 19 sutta at the
end of this writing). This is moderation of Buddhism? Also -- as the Sona Sutta
talks about -- you have to moderate your spiritual practice? For me, this means
after I returned this time to practicing this Majjhima Nikaya 19, it was maybe
due to a new circumstance in my life of having little money for food... (or was
it before this?), that I had no desire to do sitting meditation, but the next
day or so, I got myself to do sitting meditation. There's another lesson here: my
situation having less money due to something that occured..., added with this
Majjhima Nikaya 19, makes me eat pretty healthy daily (meaning, also, I eat a
lot of calories)... that it adds up after a few days, that I have energy for
meditation ... or if not that reason, for whatever reason (or that reason of
eating well added with any other reason) the continuous going with this
Majjhima Nikaya 19 eventually has me doing my sitting meditation. ...So when I
feel I really can't do sitting meditation in the future, I won't, until I can
make myself do so.
Here's how the Four Noble Truths can fit in with this practice of Majjhima
Nikaya 19. When you experience something and it causes suffering in your mind,
you view that as the First Noble Truth (Birth, old age, death, grief,
lamentation, suffering, misery, despair, association with the unpleasant,
etc.). Then I guess you can note -- or have to note also? -- the Second Noble,
the Third Noble Truth, and the Fourth Noble Truth (the Noble Eightfold Path, is
another name for it), then see the second path factor -- 'right thought' -- of
this just mentioned Fourth Noble Truth. This 'right thought' is the same thing
as the right thought of the Majjhima Nikaya 19. Then this is where you would
practice the Majjhima Nikaya 19. You see, you never carried the Four Noble
Truths all the time in your mind, but noted the First Noble Truth of it when
you experienced suffering. Then in the end you practice the Majjhima Nikaya 19.
It has been said the result of virtue is non-remorse; the result of non-remorse
is joy; and it goes on.
Also, similarly it is said something like this: "For one consummate in
virtue, there is no need for an act of will 'May I be free from remorse.' It is
in the nature of things that one consummate in virtue is free from remorse. For
one free from remorse there is no need for an act of will 'May joy arise in
me.' It is in the nature of things that joy arises in one free from
remorse." and it goes on.
So this is what I say, but it may not be true (or true, or true somewhat?): if
one practises right thought, that is perfect intention, and perfect intention
is perfect kamma, that being "consummate in virtue", so that the
result would be joy (and the following that I wrote as 'and it goes on'); in
other words, if one practices this Majjhima Nikaya 19, which is 'right
thought', joy will be the result, as well as the other things after 'joy' (here
written as 'and it goes on', because I do not remember all of them well).
Also, it MAY have been written something like this (though, not exactly the
wording, I am sure of that):
1. Right view leads to right thought
2. Right thought leads to right speech
3. Right speech leads to right action
4. Right action leads to right livelihood
5. Right livelihood leads to right effort
6. Right effort leads to right mindfulness
7. Right mindfulness leads to right rapture
So because we have 'right thought' -- this Majjhima Nikaya 19 -- it leads to
right speech, which in turn leads to right action, which in turn leads to right
livelihood (Bruceallyn12, note that: it leads to right livelihood), which in
turn leads to right effort, which in turn leads to right mindfulness, which in
turn leads to right rapture. But this right thought has to be the product of
right view? Hopefully my noting of suffering of the First Noble Truth when I
experience suffering, is good enough for right view. Or maybe one has to have
the Four Noble Truths in our minds as the "first thing", most
important thing, to have "perfect" right view, leading to true right
thought, not my Majjhima Nikaya 19 way that has the Majjhima Nikaya 19 as the
"first thing", the "minded thing". ... But now that I think
of it, the bodhisatta had this in his mind, not the Four Noble Truths (the
bodhisatta did not do the Four Noble Truths, but this twofold thought before
his enlightenment, right or not?) according to this Majjhima Nikaya 19 sutta.
But maybe if we want to escape samsara, we can't just do this Majjhima Nikaya
19. At least, it gets my chores done, gives me some inner happiness when my
outer circumstances are bad.
I found how this Majjhima Nikaya 19 works through experience and thinking. I
don't know if it is just a way more true, or only true, to me than to others.
You might find it true in the same way I find it true (that's if you try it
out). Or it is not anything to you when you try it out?
Do you want to test it out, try it? "Put it to the test". See how it
is. Take the plunge. If you see it is a crazy way invented by me, stop trying
it (or it might destroy you and/or your life?).
DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A BETTER WAY? OR WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER, OR YOUR WAY (IF YOU
WANT TO TELL IT, ELSE KEEP IT A SECRET OR WHATEVER).
from,
anonymous_3_17_2006
*************************************************
MN 19
Dvedhavitakka Sutta
Two Sorts of Thinking
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu PTS page: M i 114
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright ?1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition ?1997
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted, reprinted,
and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish, however, that any
such republication and redistribution be made available to the public on a free
and unrestricted basis and that translations and other derivative works be
clearly marked as such.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi, in
Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's monastery. There he addressed the monks:
"Monks!"
"Yes, lord," the monks replied.
The Blessed One said, "Monks, before my self-awakening, when I was still
just an unawakened Bodhisatta, the thought occurred to me: 'Why don't I keep
dividing my thinking into two sorts?' So I made thinking imbued with
sensuality, thinking imbued with ill will, & thinking imbued with
harmfulness one sort, and thinking imbued with renunciation, thinking imbued
with non-ill will, & thinking imbued with harmlessness another sort.
"And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued
with sensuality arose. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with sensuality has
arisen in me; and that leads to my own affliction or to the affliction of
others or to the affliction of both. It obstructs discernment, promotes
vexation, & does not lead to Unbinding.'
"As I noticed that it leads to my own affliction, it subsided. As I
noticed that it leads to the affliction of others... to the affliction of
both... it obstructs discernment, promotes vexation, & does not lead to
Unbinding, it subsided. Whenever thinking imbued with sensuality had arisen, I
simply abandoned it, destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of existence.
"And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued
with ill will arose. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with ill will has arisen
in me; and that leads to my own affliction or to the affliction of others or to
the affliction of both. It obstructs discernment, promotes vexation, & does
not lead to Unbinding.'
"As I noticed that it leads to my own affliction, it subsided. As I
noticed that it leads to the affliction of others... to the affliction of
both... it obstructs discernment, promotes vexation, & does not lead to
Unbinding, it subsided. Whenever thinking imbued with ill will had arisen, I
simply abandoned it, destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of existence.
"And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued
with harmfulness arose. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with harmfulness has
arisen in me; and that leads to my own affliction or to the affliction of
others or to the affliction of both. It obstructs discernment, promotes
vexation, & does not lead to Unbinding.'
"As I noticed that it leads to my own affliction, it subsided. As I
noticed that it leads to the affliction of others... to the affliction of
both... it obstructs discernment, promotes vexation, & does not lead to
Unbinding, it subsided. Whenever thinking imbued with harmfulness had arisen, I
simply abandoned it, destroyed it, dispelled it, wiped it out of existence.
"Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking & pondering, that
becomes the inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking
imbued with sensuality, abandoning thinking imbued with renunciation, his mind
is bent by that thinking imbued with sensuality. If a monk keeps pursuing
thinking imbued with ill will, abandoning thinking imbued with non-ill will,
his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with ill will. If a monk keeps
pursuing thinking imbued with harmfulness, abandoning thinking imbued with
harmlessness, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with harmfulness.
"Just as in the last month of the Rains, in the autumn season when the
crops are ripening, a cowherd would look after his cows: He would tap &
poke & check & curb them with a stick on this side & that. Why is
that? Because he foresees flogging or imprisonment or a fine or public censure
arising from that [if he let his cows wander into the crops]. In the same way I
foresaw in unskillful qualities drawbacks, degradation, & defilement, and I
foresaw in skillful qualities rewards related to renunciation & promoting
cleansing.
"And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued
with renunciation arose. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with renunciation
has arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the
affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment,
promotes lack of vexation, & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think &
ponder in line with that even for a night... even for a day... even for a day
& night, I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that
thinking & pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is
tired, the mind is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.'
So I steadied my mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it.
Why is that? So that my mind would not be disturbed.
"And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued
with non-ill will arose. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with non-ill will
has arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the
affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment,
promotes lack of vexation, & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think &
ponder in line with that even for a night... even for a day... even for a day
& night, I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that
thinking & pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is
tired, the mind is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.'
So I steadied my mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it.
Why is that? So that my mind would not be disturbed.
"And as I remained thus heedful, ardent, & resolute, thinking imbued
with harmlessness arose. I discerned that 'Thinking imbued with harmlessness
has arisen in me; and that leads neither to my own affliction, nor to the
affliction of others, nor to the affliction of both. It fosters discernment,
promotes lack of vexation, & leads to Unbinding. If I were to think &
ponder in line with that even for a night... even for a day... even for a day
& night, I do not envision any danger that would come from it, except that
thinking & pondering a long time would tire the body. When the body is
tired, the mind is disturbed; and a disturbed mind is far from concentration.'
So I steadied my mind right within, settled, unified, & concentrated it.
Why is that? So that my mind would not be disturbed.
"Whatever a monk keeps pursuing with his thinking & pondering, that
becomes the inclination of his awareness. If a monk keeps pursuing thinking
imbued with renunciation, abandoning thinking imbued with sensuality, his mind
is bent by that thinking imbued with renunciation. If a monk keeps pursuing
thinking imbued with non-ill will, abandoning thinking imbued with ill will,
his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with non-ill will. If a monk keeps
pursuing thinking imbued with harmlessness, abandoning thinking imbued with
harmfulness, his mind is bent by that thinking imbued with harmlessness.
"Just as in the last month of the hot season, when all the crops have been
gathered into the village, a cowherd would look after his cows: While resting
under the shade of a tree or out in the open, he simply keeps himself mindful
of 'those cows.' In the same way, I simply kept myself mindful of 'those mental
qualities.'
"Unflagging persistence was aroused in me, and unmuddled mindfulness
established. My body was calm & unaroused, my mind concentrated &
single. Quite withdrawn from sensuality, withdrawn from unskillful mental
qualities, I entered & remained in the first jhana: rapture & pleasure
born from withdrawal, accompanied by directed thought & evaluation. With
the stilling of directed thought & evaluation, I entered & remained in
the second jhana: rapture & pleasure born of composure, unification of
awareness free from directed thought & evaluation ?internal assurance. With
the fading of rapture I remained in equanimity, mindful & alert, and
physically sensitive of pleasure. I entered & remained in the third jhana,
of which the Noble Ones declare, 'Equanimous & mindful, he has a pleasurable
abiding.' With the abandoning of pleasure & pain ?as with the earlier
disappearance of elation & distress ?I entered & remained in the fourth
jhana: purity of equanimity & mindfulness, neither pleasure nor pain.
"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid
of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I
directed it to the knowledge of recollecting my past lives. I recollected my
manifold past lives, i.e., one birth, two... five, ten... fifty, a hundred, a
thousand, a hundred thousand, many eons of cosmic contraction, many eons of
cosmic expansion, many eons of cosmic contraction & expansion: 'There I had
such a name, belonged to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food,
such my experience of pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing
away from that state, I re-arose there. There too I had such a name, belonged
to such a clan, had such an appearance. Such was my food, such my experience of
pleasure & pain, such the end of my life. Passing away from that state, I
re-arose here.' Thus I remembered my manifold past lives in their modes &
details.
"This was the first knowledge I attained in the first watch of the night.
Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose
?as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid
of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I
directed it to the knowledge of the passing away & reappearance of beings.
I saw ?by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human ?beings
passing away & re-appearing, and I discerned how they are inferior &
superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in accordance with
their kamma: 'These beings ?who were endowed with bad conduct of body, speech
& mind, who reviled the Noble Ones, held wrong views and undertook actions
under the influence of wrong views ?with the break-up of the body, after death,
have re-appeared in the plane of deprivation, the bad destination, the lower
realms, in hell. But these beings ?who were endowed with good conduct of body,
speech, & mind, who did not revile the Noble Ones, who held right views and
undertook actions under the influence of right views ?with the break-up of the
body, after death, have re-appeared in the good destinations, in the heavenly
world.' Thus ?by means of the divine eye, purified & surpassing the human
?I saw beings passing away & re-appearing, and I discerned how they are
inferior & superior, beautiful & ugly, fortunate & unfortunate in
accordance with their kamma.
"This was the second knowledge I attained in the second watch of the
night. Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light
arose ?as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
"When the mind was thus concentrated, purified, bright, unblemished, rid
of defilement, pliant, malleable, steady, & attained to imperturbability, I
directed it to the knowledge of the ending of the mental fermentations. I
discerned, as it was actually present, that 'This is stress... This is the
origination of stress... This is the cessation of stress... This is the way
leading to the cessation of stress... These are fermentations... This is the
origination of fermentations... This is the cessation of fermentations... This
is the way leading to the cessation of fermentations.' My heart, thus knowing,
thus seeing, was released from the fermentation of sensuality, released from
the fermentation of becoming, released from the fermentation of ignorance. With
release, there was the knowledge, 'Released.' I discerned that 'Birth is ended,
the holy life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for this
world.'
"This was the third knowledge I attained in the third watch of the night.
Ignorance was destroyed; knowledge arose; darkness was destroyed; light arose
?as happens in one who is heedful, ardent, & resolute.
"Suppose, monks, that in a forested wilderness there were a large
low-lying marsh, in dependence on which there lived a large herd of deer; and a
certain man were to appear, not desiring their benefit, not desiring their
welfare, not desiring their rest from bondage. He would close off the safe,
restful path that led to their rapture, and would open up a false path, set out
a male decoy, place a female decoy, and thus the large herd of deer, at a later
time, would fall into ruin & disaster. Then suppose that a certain man were
to appear to that same large herd of deer, desiring their benefit, desiring their
welfare, desiring their rest from bondage. He would open up the safe, restful
path that led to their rapture, would close off the false path, take away the
male decoy, destroy the female decoy, and thus the large herd of deer, at a
later time, would come into growth, increase, & abundance.
"I have given this simile in order to convey a meaning. The meaning is
this: 'The large, low-lying marsh' is a term for sensual pleasures. 'The large
herd of deer' is a term for beings. 'The man not desiring their benefit, not
desiring their welfare, not desiring their rest from bondage' is a term for
Mara, the Evil One. 'The false path' is a term for the eightfold wrong path,
i.e., wrong view, wrong resolve, wrong speech, wrong action, wrong livelihood,
wrong effort, wrong mindfulness, & wrong concentration. 'The male decoy' is
a term for passion & delight. 'The female decoy' is a term for ignorance.
'The man desiring their benefit, desiring their welfare, desiring their rest
from bondage' is a term for the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Rightly
Self-awakened One. 'The safe, restful path that led to their rapture' is a term
for the noble eightfold path, i.e., right view, right resolve, right speech,
right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, & right
concentration.
"So, monks, I have opened up the safe, restful path, closed off the false
path, removed the male decoy, destroyed the female. Whatever a teacher should
do ?seeking the welfare of his disciples, out of sympathy for them ?that have I
done for you. Over there are the roots of trees; over there, empty dwellings.
Practice jhana, monks. Don't be heedless. Don't later fall into regret. This is
our message to you."
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the monks delighted in the Blessed
One's words.
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See also: AN IV.259
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Revised: Sunday 2005-12-04
https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.019.than.html
*************************************************
AN VI.55
Sona Sutta
About Sona
Translated from the Pali by
Thanissaro Bhikkhu PTS page: A iii 374
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Source: Transcribed from a file provided by the translator.
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Copyright ?1997 Thanissaro Bhikkhu.
Access to Insight edition ?1997
For free distribution. This work may be republished, reformatted, reprinted,
and redistributed in any medium. It is the author's wish, however, that any
such republication and redistribution be made available to the public on a free
and unrestricted basis and that translations and other derivative works be
clearly marked as such.
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I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Rajagaha, on
Vulture Peak Mountain. And on that occasion Ven. Sona was staying near Rajagaha
in the Cool Wood. Then, as Ven. Sona was meditating in seclusion [after doing
walking meditation until the skin of his soles was split & bleeding], this
train of thought arose in his awareness: "Of the Blessed One's disciples
who have aroused their persistence, I am one, but my mind is not released from
the effluents through lack of clinging/sustenance. Now, my family has enough
wealth that it would be possible to enjoy wealth & make merit. What if I
were to disavow the training, return to the lower life, enjoy wealth, &
make merit?"
Then the Blessed One, as soon as he perceived with his awareness the train of
thought in Ven. Sona's awareness ?as a strong man might stretch out his bent
arm or bend his outstretched arm ?disappeared from Vulture Peak Mountain,
appeared in the Cool Wood right in front of Ven. Sona, and sat down on a
prepared seat. Ven. Sona, after bowing down to the Blessed One, sat to one
side. As he was sitting there, the Blessed One said to him, "Just now, as
you were meditating in seclusion, didn't this train of thought appear to your
awareness: 'Of the Blessed One's disciples who have aroused their persistence,
I am one, but my mind is not released from the effluents... What if I were to
disavow the training, return to the lower life, enjoy wealth, & make
merit?'"
"Yes, lord."
"Now what do you think, Sona. Before, when you were a house-dweller, were
you skilled at playing the vina?"
"Yes, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too taut, was
your vina in tune & playable?"
"No, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were too loose, was
your vina in tune & playable?"
"No, lord."
"And what do you think: when the strings of your vina were neither too
taut nor too loose, but tuned1 to be right on pitch, was your vina in tune
& playable?"
"Yes, lord."
"In the same way, Sona, over-aroused persistence leads to restlessness, overly
slack persistence leads to laziness. Thus you should determine the right pitch
for your persistence, attune2the pitch of the [five] faculties [to that], and
there pick up your theme."
"Yes, lord," Ven. Sona answered the Blessed One. Then, having given
this exhortation to Ven. Sona, the Blessed One ?as a strong man might stretch
out his bent arm or bend his outstretched arm ?disappeared from the Cool Wood
and appeared on Vulture Peak Mountain.
So after that, Ven. Sona determined the right pitch for his persistence,
attuned the pitch of the [five] faculties [to that], and there picked up his
theme. Dwelling alone, secluded, heedful, ardent, & resolute, he in no long
time reached & remained in the supreme goal of the holy life for which
clansmen rightly go forth from home into homelessness, knowing & realizing
it for himself in the here & now. He knew: "Birth is ended, the holy
life fulfilled, the task done. There is nothing further for the sake of this
world." And thus Ven. Sona became another one of the arahants.
Then, on the attainment of arahantship, this thought occurred to Ven. Sona:
"What if I were to go to the Blessed One and, on arrival, to declare
gnosis in his presence?" So he then went to the Blessed One and, on
arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he
said to the Blessed One: "When a monk is an arahant, his fermentations
ended, who has reached fulfillment, done the task, laid down the burden,
attained the true goal, totally destroyed the fetter of becoming, and is
released through right gnosis, he is dedicated to six things: renunciation,
seclusion, non-afflictiveness, the ending of craving, the ending of
clinging/sustenance, & non-deludedness.
"Now it may occur to a certain venerable one to think, 'Perhaps it is
entirely dependent on conviction that this venerable one is dedicated to
renunciation,' but it should not be seen in that way. The monk whose
fermentations are ended, having fulfilled [the holy life], does not see in
himself anything further to do, or anything further to add to what he has done.
It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of passion,
that he is dedicated to renunciation. It is because of the ending of aversion,
because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to renunciation. It
is because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of delusion,
that he is dedicated to renunciation.
"Now it may occur to a certain venerable one to think, 'Perhaps it is
because he desires gain, honor, & fame that this venerable one is dedicated
to seclusion' ... 'Perhaps it is because he falls back on attachment to
precepts & practices as being essential that he is dedicated to
non-afflictiveness,' but it should not be seen in that way. The monk whose fermentations
are ended, having fulfilled [the holy life], does not see in himself anything
further to do, or anything further to add to what he has done. It is because of
the ending of passion, because of his being free of passion, that he is
dedicated to non-afflictiveness. It is because of the ending of aversion,
because of his being free of aversion, that he is dedicated to
non-afflictiveness. It is because of the ending of delusion, because of his
being free of delusion, that he is dedicated to non-afflictiveness.
"It is because of the ending of passion, because of his being free of
passion... because of the ending of aversion, because of his being free of
aversion... because of the ending of delusion, because of his being free of
delusion, that he is dedicated to the ending of craving... the ending of
clinging/sustenance... non-deludedness.
"Even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come into the visual range
of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered
nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on
their passing away. And even if powerful sounds... aromas... flavors... tactile
sensations... Even if powerful ideas cognizable by the intellect come into the
mental range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind is neither
overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached imperturbability, he
focuses on their passing away.
"Just as if there were a mountain of rock ?without cracks, without
fissures, one solid mass ?and then from the east there were to come a powerful
storm of wind & rain: the mountain would neither shiver nor quiver nor
shake. And then from the west... the north... the south there were to come a
powerful storm of wind & rain: the mountain would neither shiver nor quiver
nor shake. In the same way, even if powerful forms cognizable by the eye come
into the visual range of a monk whose mind is thus rightly released, his mind
is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being still, having reached
imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away. And even if powerful
sounds... aromas... flavors... tactile sensations... Even if powerful ideas
cognizable by the intellect come into the mental range of a monk whose mind is
thus rightly released, his mind is neither overpowered nor even engaged. Being
still, having reached imperturbability, he focuses on their passing away."
When one's awareness is dedicated
to renunciation, seclusion,
non-afflictiveness, the ending of clinging,
the ending of craving, & non-deludedness,
seeing the arising of the sense media,
the mind is rightly released.
For that monk, rightly released,
his heart at peace,
there's nothing to be done,
nothing to add
to what's done.
As a single mass of rock isn't moved by the wind,
even so all forms, flavors, sounds,
aromas, contacts,
ideas desirable & not,
have no effect on one who is Such.
The mind
?still, totally released ?
focuses on
their passing away.
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Notes
1. Lit. "established."
2. "Penetrate," "ferret out."
Any good methods to tap into my subconscious?
I meditate, you know, use
breathing techniques to clear my mind and listen to that little voice inside of
me, but it's so hard to tap sometimes. Does anyone (especially pagans,
Buddhists, etc) have any suggestions? I need to calm a scarred and frightened
part of my subconscious before I can continue on my spiritual path. Thanks
My answer
was:
I
don't want to hear any voice in my mind :), and this may or may not be a way to
tap into subconscious (if there is such a thing)..., but here is a way to gain
calm:
when I do sitting meditation, to get into a more
peaceful state, I
use the Majjhima Nikaya 19 teaching. I think
'renunciation' of the
desire to move my body back into a straighter posture
when it starts
to bend. Because of this 'renunciation' thought, I
don't move my
body, let my body fall lower and lower from a
"straight" posture.
This non-moving of my body makes my body calmer
Then from this calm body -- less movement means less
breathing -- I
come to a calm "peaceful" state. But note:
I cannot sit in lotus
posture, but sat cross-legged on a cushion and two
pillows, and one
thinner cushion-mat for my feet (legs). Or I sit on
a pillow placed
on my folding chair. You can try this chair sitting
with your back
away (not resting on) the back of the chair, or try
with your back
resting on the back of the chair.
But when I let my head eventually fall down, I would
then get back
into a straight posture (after maybe a bit of staying
in that head
down posture and thinking 'renunciation' of the
desire to change that
natural, but not noble looking, outcome state for my
head/body in my
sitting meditation (of head drooped to the ground)).
The peaceful
state came in maybe the second or more meditation
"session" --
a "session" means the meditation session
that lasts until the time I
have to get back into a straight body posture again
(after the head
drooping thing?)
Source: Message #820 at Yahoo! Group
'life-atmosphere':
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/life-atmosphere/message/820
Majjhima Nikaya 19 of Theravada Buddhism:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.019.than.html
ADDITION TO THIS YAHOO! ANSWERS POST: more on my
Majjhima Nikaya 19 way. I breath low, in my abdomen area, since I started it in
maybe the 1980s. So in meditation, I still would be breathing my normal way,
which is in my abdomen area:
Message #1525 at the same Y! Group
'life-atmosphere':
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/life-atmosphere/message/1525
That’s all.
Right now it is 8:19 PM on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, here in Canada, when I
have just completed my revision of this ‘Lower abdominal breathing, my Majjhima Nikaya 19 way, and How To Keep One's Eyes In Healthy Condition' post. These are the only two areas in this whole post, which I modified and/or added important information (as far as I remember):
1. Found in the paragraph just
before the title 'How To Keep One’s Eyes In Healthy Condition':
This writing shows a spiritual
teaching that maybe not all scientists believe to be with significant truth,
possibly. That is: chi energy.
2. The paragraphs just
after the title 'How To Keep One’s Eyes In Healthy Condition':
People might want to know a way
to keep one’s eyes in healthy condition. I find that breathing from the lower
abdomen as a way of life – meaning, it is the natural way I breath all the time
– coupled with Buddhist sitting breathing meditation, lead to a situation where
my eyes watered tears out, which cleaned my eyes. Yes, my eyes watered up,
teared up, and flowed down my cheeks. This happens after some time has passed
in my Buddhist sitting breathing meditation. I think it (only?) starts when I
had my first yawn while doing my sitting meditation, then every yawn after it,
more tears flow out of my eyes...
As
to the type of Buddhist sitting breathing meditation that leads to this
yawning, then tears flowing out of my eyes, I do not want to reveal
everything about my practice these days, so I will not say in what way
or ways I have been doing Buddhist sitting breathing meditation since I
wrote the 'my Majjhima Nikaya 19 way' article 12 years ago -- and the
following article of 8 years ago. I will say this, though: if you want
to come to a state where your yawn leads to eyes getting watery, and you
yawning, just do the lower abdominal breathing way in your Buddhist
sitting breathing meditation, WITHOUT MY MAJJHIMA NIKAYA 19 WAY EVEN,
AND SEE IF IT HAPPENS. If it does not happen, then it may just be
something that is peculiar with me. Or it might not be something
peculiar with me, and you do come to yawning and tearing up. If you have
not experienced this yawning and tearing up, and want to, just keep on
with the lower-abdominal-breathing-Buddhist-sitting-meditation, and
maybe one day it might happen. Or not. After time and you see it did not happen without this Majjhima Nikaya 19 way of mine, then try doing it with this Majjhima Nikaya 19 way of mine.
If it did not happen (the yawning
then tearing up), and you still would like it to, then this is where it might
have only happened to me after I had changed in some way(s) -- this is where
the secret(s) is/are which I won't say -- how I practice (still in my mind,
though) the Majjhima Nikaya 19 with my lower abdominal breathing. So your luck
runs out here, because I won't reveal how I have modified my Majjhima Nikaya 19
way since the time I wrote the first article 12 years ago (and the second
article 8 years ago)... Now that has been said, let's get back to what I wish
to share with you: I have to give knowledge and opinions, to give you the
foundation for this lower abdominal breathing. Then I will repost two writings
I made about this lower abdominal breathing (where it was coupled with the
Majjhima Nikaya 19 sutta, and called ‘my Majjhima Nikaya 19 way’ when I wrote
it then). So here goes:
From,
Ai
(Dinh) Le
