"Monkey Mind" in Meditation

Michael Carr; CC Liu, Pat Macpherson, Seth Auberon, Wisdom Quarterly (Wiki edit)

What's monkey mind? Hold on a second, I'll look on Wisdom Quarterly (Huffington Post).

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Obsessed with sexy distractions (Uhohbro).

Monkey mind (or mind monkey) comes from the Chinese word xinyuan and the Sino-Japanese shin'en (心猿), literally, "heart-/mind-monkey").

It is a Buddhist term meaning "restless, unsettled, capricious, whimsical, fanciful, inconstant, confused, indecisive, uncontrollable." In addition to Buddhist writings -- including Chinese Chan and Japanese Zen (two Mahayana sects giving their pronunciations of the Pali term jhan'a and the Sanskrit dhyan'a), Consciousness-Only, Pure Land, and Shingon -- this "monkey mind" psychological metaphor was adopted in Taoism, Neo-Confucianism, poetry, drama, and literature.

"Mind-monkey" occurs in two reversible four-character idioms with yima or iba (意馬), literally, "thought-/will-horse," most frequently used in Chinese xinyuanyima (心猿意馬) and Japanese ibashin'en (意馬心猿).

The "Monkey King" Sun Wukong in the Journey to the West personifies the mind-monkey. Note that much of the following summarizes Michael Carr ("'Mind-Monkey' Metaphors in Chinese and Japanese Dictionaries," International Journal of Lexicography 1993, 6.3:149-180). 

Linguistic and cultural background

Mind monkey piggy backs on horse idea (Tang Dynasty)

"Mind-monkey" (心猿) is an animal metaphor. Some figures of speech are cross-linguistically common, verging upon being linguistic universals.

Many languages use "monkey" or "ape" words to mean "mimic," for instance, Italian scimmiottare "to mock, to mimic" and scimmia "monkey, ape," Japanese sarumane (猿真似), literally, "monkey imitation," "copycat, superficial imitation," and the English monkey see, monkey do or to ape. Other animal metaphors have culture-specific meanings. Compare English chickenhearted as "cowardly, timid," "easily frightened" and Chinese jixin (雞心), literally, "chicken heart," "heart-shaped, cordate."

 

The four morphological elements of Chinese xinyuanyima or Japanese shin'en'iba are xin or shin (心) "heart, mind", yi or i (意) "thought," yuan or en (猿) "monkey," and ma or ba (馬) "horse."

The 心 "heart, mind" and 意 "idea, will"

Mr. Simian! - No, I just meant a pony ride on the "will horse," not us horsing around!

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The psychological components of the "mind-monkey will-horse" metaphor are Chinese xin or Sino-Japanese shin or kokoro (心) "heart, mind, feelings, affections, center" and yi or i (意) "thought, idea, opinion, sentiment, will, wish, meaning."

This Chinese character 心 was graphically simplified from an original pictogram of a heart and 意 "thought, think" is an ideogram combining 心 under yin (音) "sound, tone, voice" denoting "sound in the mind, thought, idea."

 

In Chinese Buddhism and Japanese Buddhism, xin/shin (心) "heart, mind" generally translates Sanskrit citta "mind, process of mind, state of mind, consciousness" and yi/i (意) translates Sanskrit manas "the mental organ, deliberation."

 

Some Buddhist authors have used 心 and 意 interchangeably for "mind, cognition, thought." Compare these Digital Dictionary of Buddhism glosses:

• 心 "Spirit, motive, sense. The mind as the seat of intelligence, mentality, idea. (Sanskrit citta)... Thought, intellect, feeling (Sanskrit mānasa)"
• 意 "Thought, intellect (Sanskrit manas, Tibetan yid), the mind, (Sanskrit citta, Tibetan sems)."

For example, take the Buddhist word Chinese xin-yi-shi or Japanese shin-i-shiki (心意識), literally, "mind, thought, and cognition" that compounds three near-synonyms.

 

The Abhidharma theory uses this word as a general term for "mind, mentality." But Yogacara's theory of Eight Consciousnesses distinguishes xin/shin (心) "store consciousness," yi/i (意) "manas consciousness," and shi/shiki (識) "six object-contingent consciousnesses."

 

Xinyuanyima (心猿意馬), literally, "mind-monkey idea-horse," "distracted, indecisive, restless" is comparable with some other Chinese collocations:

• xinmanyizu (心滿意足) "heart-full mind-complete," "perfectly content, fully satisfied."
• xinhuiyilan (心灰意懶) "heart-ashes mind-sluggish," "disheartened, discouraged, hopeless" (or xinhuiyileng (心灰意冷) with leng "cold, frosty."
• xinhuangyiluan (心慌意亂) "heart-flustered mind-disordered," "alarmed and hysterical, perturbed."
• xinfanyiluan (心煩意亂) "heart-vexed mind-disordered," "terribly upset, confused and worried"...

"Mind-monkey" in English

Prozac (fluoride) calcifies the pineal gland

Monkey mind and mind monkey both occur in English usage, originally as translations of xinyuan or shin'en and later as culturally-independent images. Carr concludes:

Xinyuan-yima (心猿意馬) "monkey of the heart/mind and horse of the ideas/will" has been a successful metaphor. What began 1500 years ago as a Buddhist import evolved into a standard Chinese and Japanese literary phrase.

Rosenthal (1989:361) says a proverb's success "'depends on certain imponderables," particularly rhythm and phrasing. Of the two animals in this metaphor, the "monkey" phrase was stronger than the "horse" because xinyuan "mind-monkey" was occasionally used alone (e.g., Wuzhenpian) and it had more viable variants (e.g., qingyuan 情猿 "emotion-monkey" in Ci'en zhuan).

The "mental-monkey" choice of words aptly reflects restlessness, curiosity, and mimicry associated with this animal. Dudbridge (1970:168) explains how "the random, uncontrollable movements of the monkey symbolise the waywardness of the naive human mind before it achieves a composure which only Buddhist discipline can effect" (1993:166). More

What is Buddhist meditation?

Amber Larson, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Dhammika (BuddhaNet.net)

"It doesn't matter who you used to be. What matters is who you become."

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What is meditation?

Meditation is a conscious effort to change how the mind works. The Pali word for "meditation" is bhavana, which means "to make grow" or "to develop." [Literally, it means "to bring into being, to make become."]

Is meditation important?

Yes, it is. No matter how much we may wish to be good, if we cannot change the desires that make us act the way we do, change will be difficult. For example, a person may realize that s/he is impatient with a spouse and may promise, "From now on I am not going to be so impatient." But an hour later one may be shouting again simply because, not being aware of oneself, impatience has arisen without one knowing it. Meditation helps to develop the awareness and the energy needed to transform ingrained mental habit patterns.

 

I have heard that meditation can be dangerous. Is this true?

To live, we need salt. But if we were to eat a kilogram of salt it would kill us. To live in the modern world we may need a car, but if we do not follow the traffic rules or if we drive while we are a little intoxicated, a car becomes a dangerous maiming machine. Meditation is like this, it is essential for our mental health and well-being, but if we practice in a foolish way, it amy cause problems. Some people have problems like depression, irrational fears (phobias), or schizophrenia, and they think meditation is an instant cure for all problems. So they start meditating, yet sometimes their problems get worse. If we have such problems, we may want to seek professional help or therapy and after we are better then take up meditation. Other people over reach; they take up meditation and instead of going gradually, step by step -- making the gradual progress the Buddha advised -- they meditate with too much energy, effort, and exertion for too long, and by going out of balance they are soon exhausted and discouraged.

• [Siddhartha the severe ascetic failed until he relaxed effort to a point of balance utilizing the blissful meditative absorptions as the basis for temporary purification and the basis for cultivating insight or vipassana; trying to practice insight without a solid foundation of concentration is almost certain to fail and leave us disappointed and discouraged. Siddhartha succeeded, he later explained, with the paradoxical statement that he neither pushed forward nor stood still, that is, neither overexerted himself into a fruitless frenzy nor sank from lack of effort. The answer is balanced-effort, persistence, strong-soft (sthirasukha) cultivation.]

As Siddhartha eventually realized, Too much exertion is as bad as not enough exertion.

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But perhaps most problems in meditation are caused by ''kangaroo meditation." [Most are actually caused by Monkey Mind, but the venerable is making another good point.] Some people go to one teacher and do that meditation technique for a while, then they read something in a book and decide to try this technique, then a week later a famous meditation teacher visits town so they decide to incorporate some of those ideas into their practice, and before long they are hopelessly confused.[Hopping around like a marsupial when it gets tough is no way to "meditate." Pick a technique, learn it well, practice it for long enough to see if it works.]

Jumping like a kangaroo from one teacher to another or from one meditation technique to another is a mistake. But if we do not have any severe mental problem and we take up meditation and practice sensibly, it is one of the best things we can do for ourselves.

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Eventually the heart/mind purifies and one peacefully sees things as they really are -- including sensing many kinds of unseen beings who live alongside us and often impact humans mostly to our detriment.

 

How many types of meditation are there?

The Buddha taught many different types of meditation, each designed to overcome a particular problem [he detected in the person he was instructing] or to develop a particular psychological state [hidden strength in the person]. But the two most common and useful types of meditation are "Mindfulness of Breathing" (anapana sati) and "Loving-Kindness Meditation" (metta). [The two broad classes of meditation are the cultivation of concentration and calm and the development of insight and wisdom, known as samatha and vipassana.]

If I wanted to practice Mindfulness of Breathing, how would I do it?

Follows these easy steps known as the Four P's: place, posture, practice, and problems. 

(SunriseJetPhotoGallery/flickr)

1. First, find a suitable place, perhaps a room that is not too noisy and where you are not likely to be disturbed.
2. Second, sit in a comfortable posture. A good posture is to sit with your legs folded, a pillow under your buttocks, your back straight, the hands nestled in the lap and the eyes closed. Alternatively, you can sit in a chair as long as you keep your back straight. 
3. Next comes the actual practice itself. As you sit quietly with your eyes closed you focus your attention on the in and out movement of the breath [just under the nostrils]. This can be done by counting the breaths or [alternatively being mindful of the grosser] rise and fall of the abdomen. 
4. When this is done certain problems and difficulties will arise. You might experience irritating itches on the body or discomfort in the knees. If this happens, keep the body relaxed without moving. Keep focusing on the breath. You will probably have many intruding thoughts coming to mind and distracting your attention from the breath. The only way to deal with this normal occurrence is to patiently keep returning your attention to the breath. If you keep doing this, eventually thoughts will weaken, your concentration will become stronger, and you will have moments of deep mental calm and inner peace. [Remembering the breath, and bringing it back to mind, is said by some to be the definition of "mindfulness," known in Pali as sati and in Sanskrit as smirti.]

How long should I meditate for?

It is good to do meditation for 15 minutes every day for a week and then extend the time by 5 minutes each week until you are meditating for 45 minutes. After a few weeks of regular daily meditation, you will start to notice that your concentration gets better, there are fewer distracting thoughts, and you have moments of real peace and stillness.

 

What about Loving Kindness Meditation? How is that practiced?

Once you are familiar with Mindfulness of Breathing and are practicing it regularly, you can start practicing Loving Kindness Meditation. It should be done two or three times each week after you have done Mindfulness of Breathing.

1. First, turn your attention to yourself and say to yourself words like, "May I be well and happy. May I be peaceful and calm. May I be protected. May my mind/heart be free of hatred. May my heart be filled with loving friendliness. May I be well and happy." 
2. Then one by one you think of a loved and respected living person of the same sex (like a teacher), a neutral person, that is, someone you do not know and neither like nor dislike, and finally a disliked person, wishing each of them well as you do so.

What is the benefit of doing this type of meditation?

If you do Loving Kindness Meditation regularly and with the right attitude, you will find very positive changes taking place within yourself. You will find that you are able to be more accepting and forgiving towards yourself. You will find that the feelings you have towards your loved ones will increase. You will find yourself making friends with people you used to be indifferent and uncaring towards, and you will find the ill-will or resentment you have towards some people will lessen and eventually be dissolved. Sometimes if you know of someone who is sick, unhappy, or encountering difficulties you can include them in your meditation, and very often you will find their situation improving. [These and the benefits the Buddha mentioned are more likely to result from practicing metta meditation to the point of absorption or jhana, a deep calm and concentration that brings about the benefits. It is not positive or wishful thinking, but an awakening of the heart/mind's latent powers to make our reality.]

How is that possible?

The mind, when properly developed, is a very powerful instrument. If we can learn to focus our mental energy and project it towards others, it can have an effect upon them. You may have had an experience like this. Perhaps you are in a crowded room and you get this feeling that someone is watching you. You turn around and, sure enough, someone is staring. What has happened is that you have picked up that other person's mental energy. Loving Kindness Meditation is like this. We project positive mental energy towards others and it gradually transforms them.

Do I need a teacher to teach me meditation?

A teacher is not absolutely necessary, but personal guidance from someone who is familiar with meditation is certainly helpful. Unfortunately, some monastics and laypeople set themselves up as meditation teachers and gurus when they simply do not know what they are doing. Search and pick a teacher who has a good reputation, a balanced personality, and who adheres closely to the Buddha's teachings. More

Buddhist Geeks in Los Angeles (InsightLA)

Wisdom Quarterly; Buddhist Geeks coming to Los Angeles (InsightLA.org)

Buddhist Geeks Conference 2014

Buddhist Geeks are excited to announce that their new workshop, "Mind Hacking," will be offered on August 2, 2014 from 10:00 am-1:00 pm at InsightLA in Santa Monica.
 
The workshop will be led by geeks, mind hackers, and Buddhist teachers Vincent Horn and Emily Horn.

 

Over the course of this 3-hour interactive workshop they plan to explore the basics of the hacking mindset as well as discussing four meditative skill-sets for hacking the mind, including:

• Concentration Meditation
• Investigation Meditation
• Meditative Inquiry
• Formless Awareness

During this time together all participants will be engaged in both silent meditation as well as a social form of mindfulness called "social noting." There will be plenty of time for fine-tuning and questions as all journey into a process of hacking the mind, awakening the heart, and rebooting the world.

The Buddhist Geeks Team

25 Mildred Ave., Asheville, NC 28806

The opening keynote at the Buddhist Geeks Conference 2014 will be offered by Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara. She will be joining Geeks in the exploration of convergence. She brings years of experience as both a teacher and practitioner of Zen Buddhism.

"She asks me, 'Why Zen?'
clear blue sky
sunlight dancing off the bare branches
sound of leaves
the little black-headed chickadee whistles
my life so clear, so direct
gratitude for this mind moment."
- from Roshi O'Hara's book: Most Intimate: A Zen Approach to Life's Challenges

Roshi Pat Enkyo O'Hara received priest ordination from Maezumi Roshi and Dharma Transmission and Inka from Bernie Tetsugen Glassman. She founded Manhattan's Village Zendo, New York. 

• Before Mindfulness: Joseph Goldstein in LA
• About InsightLA and Trudy Goodman
• Heal GRIEF with Induced After Death Communication Some psychotherapists can help the grieving experience a reconnection with someone who has passed away, resulting in the healing of deep sadness associated with grief. The method of inducing this experience, called IADC, was discovered in 1995 by Dr. Allan L. Botkin and works for PTSD.

The Joy of "Unselfish Joy" (Mudita)

Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Crystal Quintero (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Mudita (BPS.lk, Wheel #170/ATI), four essays by Nyanaponika Thera, Natasha Jackson, C.F. Knight, L.R. Oates

The Buddha overcoming near and distant "enemies" of meditation (David Adams/flickr)

 

Mudita: The Buddha's Teaching on Unselfish Joy

The Awakened One known as the Buddha said:

 

Herein [within this Dharma and Discipline], O meditators, a disciple's mind/heart pervades one quarter of the world with thoughts of unselfish joy, and so the second, and so the third, and so the fourth. And in this way the whole wide world, above, below, around, everywhere and equally, one continues to pervade with a heart/mind of unselfish joy, abundant, grown great, measureless, freed of hostility and ill-will.

 

Is Unselfish Joy Practicable?

Introduction by Ven. Nyanaponika Thera

Rainbow magic (Jasspierxia/flickr)

The virtue of mudita [unselfish joy, appreciative joy, altruistic joy, sympathetic joy, i.e., resonating or vibrating in line (in sympathy) with another person's happiness] is finding and experiencing joy in the happiness and success of others.

It has not received sufficient attention either in expositions of Buddhist ethics or in the meditative development of the Four Sublime States (Brahma Viharas), of which it is one. It was, therefore, thought desirable to compile this brief collection of essays and texts and to mention in this introduction a few supplementary features of this rather neglected subject.
 
It has been rightly stated that it is relatively easier for one to feel compassion or friendliness in situations that demand them than to cherish a spontaneous feeling of shared joy, outside of a narrow circle of one's family and friends.'
 
It mostly requires a deliberate effort to identify oneself with the joys and successes of others. Yet, the capacity of doing so has psychological roots in human nature that may be even deeper that one's compassionate responses.
 
There is firstly the fact that people do like to feel happy (with or without good reason) and would prefer it to the shared sadness of compassion [com-passion = con+passion = with+suffering]. Our gregarious nature (our "sociability") already gives us some familiarity with shared emotions and shared pleasure, though mostly on a much lower level than that of our present concern [which is the meditative development of this Sublime State].

There is in humans (and in some animals) more than an aggressive impulse, but also a natural bent towards mutual aid and cooperative action. There is the fact that happiness is infectious, and an unselfish joy can easily grow out of it. Children readily respond by their own smiles and happy mood to smiling faces and happiness around them. Though children can be quite jealous and envious at times, they also can visibly enjoy it when they have made a playmate happy with a small gift, and they are then quite pleased with themselves.

Let parents and educators wisely encourage this potential in children. Then this seed will quite naturally grow into a strong plant in the adolescent and the adult, maturing from impulsive and simple manifestations into the Sublime State of unselfish joy (mudita-brahma-vihara). Here too, the child may become "the parent of a person." Such education towards joy with others should chiefly be given in a practical way by gently making the child observe, appreciate, and enjoy the happiness and success of others, and by trying to create a little joy in others.

This can be aided by acquainting the child with examples of selfless lives and actions for the joyful admiration of them (and these, of course, go beyond Buddhist history to all human history). This feature should is present in Buddhist youth literature, schoolbooks, and as a theme in Buddhist magazines and adult literature.
 
Our negative impulses -- like aggression, envy, jealousy, and so on -- are often more in evidence than our positive tendencies toward communal service, mutual aid, unselfish joy, generous appreciation of the good qualities of others and so on. Yet, as all of these positive features are definitely found in humans (though rarely developed), it is realistic to appeal to them and activate and develop them by whatever means we can -- in our personal relationships, education, and so on.

"If it were impossible to cultivate the good, I would not tell you to do so," said the Buddha. This is, indeed, a positive, optimistic assurance.
 
If this potential for unselfish joy is widely and methodically encouraged and developed, starting with the Buddhist child (or any child) and continued with adults (individuals and Buddhist groups, including the Sangha), the seed for unselfish joy can grow into a strong plant that blossoms and finds fruition in other virtues, a kind of beneficial "chain reaction": magnanimity, tolerance, generosity (of heart and purse), friendliness, and compassion. When unselfish joy grows, many noxious weeds in the human heart will be displaced: jealousy and envy, ill will in various degrees and manifestations, cold-hearted indifference, miserliness, and so forth. Unselfish joy can, indeed, act as a powerful agent in releasing dormant forces of the good in the human heart.
 
We know very well how envy and jealousy (the chief opponents of unselfish joy) can poison our character as well as our social relationships on many levels of life. They can paralyze the productivity of society on governmental, professional, industrial, and commercial levels. Should we therefore not endeavor to cultivate their antidote: unselfish joy?
 
It will also vitalize and ennoble charity and social work. While compassion (karuna) is the inspiration for it, unselfish joy is its boon companion. It prevents compassionate action from being marred by a condescending or patronizing attitude, which often repels or hurts the recipient. Also, when active compassion and unselfish joy go together, it is less likely that works of service turn into droning routine performed with indifference.

Indifference, listlessness, boredom (all nuances of arati, famously regarded as one of Mara's daughters) are said to be the "distant enemies" of unselfish joy. They can be vanquished by the alliance of compassion and unselfish joy.
 
In one who gives and helps, the joy one finds in such action will enhance the blessings imparted by these wholesome deeds: Unselfishness will become more and more natural, and such ethical unselfishness will help one toward a better appreciation and the final realization of the Buddha's central doctrine of No-self (anatta, egolessness). One will also find it confirmed that one who is joyful in heart gains more easily the serenity of a concentrated mind. These are, indeed, great blessings which the cultivation of joy with others' happiness can bestow!

The compilation ends with a fifth "essay," an entry from the Path of Purification by the great Buddhist commentator Buddhaghosa on how to cultivate unselfish joy to the intensity of absorption. The 11 advantages listed at the end of this entry come not from merely trying to develop mudita but from actually attaining absorption through practicing it. It is the absorption (jhana) that powers the benefits.

Meditative Development of Unselfish Joy

Ven. Buddhaghosa (5th-century), excerpt from the Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga)

Meditation mudra (mysecretpsychiclife.com)

One who wishes to begin developing unselfish joy (mudita) meditation must avoid starting with a dearly beloved, neutral, or hostile person.
 
For it is not the mere fact that a person is dearly beloved that makes that person an immediate cause of developing unselfish joy, and still less so a neutral or hostile person. A person of the opposite sex or anyone who has passed away is also unsuitable subjects in this form of meditation [the former being likely to inspire lust, the latter being impossible to achieve absorption through].

• [The only purpose of selecting a proper person as subject is to quickly gain mastery of this form of meditation; thereafter, one may it expand it to anyone. Rather than getting bogged down here, bear in mind that "Perfection is the enemy of good."]

A very close friend, however, can be a suitable subject -- one who is called in the Commentaries a close companion, for that person is always in a joyous mood, laughs first and speaks afterwards. That person should be the first to be pervaded with unselfish joy [sympathetic joy, joy in that person's joy, happiness in his or her happiness]. Or on seeing or hearing about a dear person being happy, cheerful, and joyous, unselfish joy can be aroused in this way: "This being, truly, is happy! How good, how excellent!" For this is what is referred to in the Vibhanga: "And how does a meditator dwell pervading one direction with heart imbued with unselfish joy? Just as one would be joyful on seeing a dear and beloved person, so one pervades all beings with unselfish joy" (Vib. 274).
 
But if this affectionate friend or dear person was happy in the past but is now unlucky and unfortunate, then unselfish joy can still be aroused by remembering that person's past happiness, or by anticipating that the person will be happy and successful again in the future.
 
Having thus aroused unselfish joy with respect to a dear person, the meditator can then direct it towards a neutral one, and after that towards a hostile one.
 
But if resentment towards the hostile one arises, one should make it subside in the same way as described under the exposition of loving-kindness (metta).
 
One should then break down the barriers by means of impartiality (upekkha) towards the four, that is, towards these three and oneself. And by cultivating the sign (nimitta, counterpart sign, after-image, which is obtained by deep concentration), developing and repeatedly practicing it, one should increase the absorption (jhana) to triple or (according to the Abhidhamma division) quadruple absorption.
 
Next, the versatility (in this meditation) should be understood in the same way as stated under loving-kindness. It consists of:

(a) Unspecified pervasion in these five ways:

"May all beings... all breathing things... all creatures... all persons... all those who have a personality be free from enmity, affliction, and anxiety, and live happily!"

(b) Specified pervasion in these seven ways:

"May all women... all men... all Noble Ones [ariyans, those who have attained any of the noble states]... all non Noble Ones... all devas... all human beings... all those in states of misery (in lower worlds) be free from enmity, and so on."

(c) Directional pervasion in these ten ways:

"May all beings (all breathing things, etc.; all women, etc.) in the eastern direction... in the western direction... northern... southern direction... in the intermediate eastern, western, northern, and southern direction... in the downward direction... in the upward direction be free from enmity, and so on."

This versatility is successful only in one whose mind has reached absorption (jhana).
 
When this meditator develops the mind-deliverance of unselfish joy through any of these kinds of absorption, one obtains these 11 advantages: One sleeps in comfort, wakes in comfort, and dreams no upsetting dreams, one is dear to human beings, dear to non-human beings, devas guard one, fire and poison and weapons do not affect one, one's mind is easily concentrated, the expression of one's face is serene, one dies unconfused, if one [with insight] penetrates no higher one will be reborn in the Brahma World (A v 342). More

• The Jhanas in Theravada Buddhist Meditation
• Mental States (cetasikas) in Buddhism: In the 89 types of consciousness enumerated in the first chapter, 52 mental states arise in varying degrees. There are seven concomitants common to every [kind of] consciousness. There are six others that may or may not arise in each and every consciousness. They are termed pakinnakā("particulars"). All of these 13 are designated aññasamāna, a technical term: Añña means "other," samana means "common." Sobhanas(good), when compared with asobhanas (harmful), are called añña, "other," being of the opposite category. So are the asobhanas in contradistinction to sobhanas.

The Buddha and King P. (sutra)

G.P. Malalasekera (Dictionary of Pali Names), Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly, as taught to us by the noble Czech-born scholar-monk Ven. Dhammadipa

The Buddha as a king Maitreya Jampa, Boudhanath, Kathmandu, Nepal (fedMin/flickr)

 

Once, far to the west of Magadha (India), there was a discontented royal. From a distance he befriended an Indian king. They had never met, but they grew close as they exchanged gifts, and news, and outlooks on the world.

 

King Pukkusāti lived west of the Indus river in modern Taxila, Pakistan (which until 1948 was India next to Afghanistan). His friend was the Buddha's famous royal patron, King Bimbisara, who ruled Magadha.

Gold Buddha, Bodh Gaya, India (Chandrasekaran)

King Pukkusati heard of the Buddha's teachings and was so moved that he determined to begin meditating in his private quarters. His success in achieving the absorptions led him to renounce, then he was overcome with a longing to meet the Buddha.

He cut his hair and beard and became a wandering ascetic (shramana), like Prince Siddhartha had. And like Siddhartha, he crossed the Indus river into India. Before he could reach the Buddha, however, he stopped for the night and was given lodging in a potter's shed at the house of Bhaggava the potter in Rājagaha, the capital of King Bimbisara's kingdom. 

Buddha, Taxila Museum (Amir Taj)

The Buddha knew he was coming and arrived at the guest quarters in the potter's house after the king. The Buddha asked to be allowed to share it, and Pukkusāti -- having no idea that this was the Buddha -- readily agreed. They sat together for some time meditating in silence. The Buddha was impressed at the king's ability to meditate so deeply, apparently entering the absorptions.

When he emerged and was still meditating, the Buddha taught him the Dhātu-vibhanga Sutra (hear it below). The former king, now a wandering ascetic, immediately recognized that this could only be his professed teacher, the Buddha. At the end of the sutra, having had a noble attainment, he begged his forgiveness for not having paid him due honor when they met.

He then beseeched the Buddha to confer on him the higher ordination of a fully gone forth Buddhist monastic. The Buddha said yes and sent him to procure a proper alms bowl and saffron robe. On the way, however, Pukkusāti was gored to death by a mad cow.

When this seeming tragedy was reported to the Buddha, he explained that Pukkusāti was a non-returner and had therefore been spontaneously reborn [i.e., immediately, without the intervention of parents, but based instead solely on the power of karma] in the Pure Abodes (MN.iii.237 47).

• The Pure Abodes are five special planes of existence in Buddhist cosmology (see graphic below). They are only open to non-returners, that is, those who have attained the third stage of enlightenment but pass away before full enlightenment. If one were fully enlightened, there would be no rebirth or disappointment (dukkha) at all. These unique planes from which there is no falling back, unlike all other "heavenly" worlds within the sensual, fine-material, and immaterial spheres. The heavens (sagga) are not immaterial planes. Most are composed of subtle material form, four are formless, and six are sensual within our own sphere the Kama Loka. (See graphic below for full listing of all these worlds).

In this context, Pukkusāti is spoken of as a "son or offspring of good family," "nobly born" (kulaputta, iii.238); see also J.iv.180 and DhA.ii.35.

Buddhist treasures being smuggled out of formerly Buddhist Pakistan and parts of Pashtun-dominated Afghanistan, which together once formed Gandhara, India, on the frontiers of ancient Shakya territory, the Buddha's hometown (BigStory.AP.org).

  

Sutra explanation

Derived from the Commentary

Indo-Greek Buddha coin (as.miami.edu)

In his comments on the Dhātuvibhanga Sutra, the great Buddhist commentator Buddhaghosa gives a long account of Pukkusāti (MA.ii.979 ff.). Compare it to the story of King Tissa of Roruva (ThagA.i.199ff.).

 

King Pukkusāti had been the king of Takkasilā (Taxila), a contemporary of King Bimbisāra (himself a stream enterer) of about the same age. A friendly al)liance was established between the two kings through merchants who traveled between their countries for purposes of trade.

Over time, although the two kings had never seen each other, there grew between them a deep bond of affection. King Pukkusāti once sent King Bimbisāra a gift of eight priceless garments in lacquered boxes. This gift was accepted at a special meeting of the entire court. King Bimbisāra wishing to return the favor but having nothing to match of a material nature, sent what he considered most precious:

 

He conceived of the idea of acquainting King Pukkusāti with the knowledge that there had appeared in the world of Three Jewels (ratanāni): the Buddha (Teacher), the Dharma (Teaching), and the Sangha (the intensively Taught). 

So he had inscribed on a golden plate, four cubits long and a span in breadth, descriptions of these Three Jewels and of various tenets of the Buddha's Dharma -- such as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness (satipatthānā), the Noble Eightfold Path, and the 37 Requisites of Enlightenment.

 

This plate was placed in the innermost of several special caskets made of various precious materials and was taken in procession on the back of the state elephant to the frontier of King Bimbisira's kingdom. Similar honors were paid to it by the chiefs of other clan territories (janapadas rather than "countries") all the way along the route to Takkasilā.

Pukkusati's probable route: Afghan border policeman, Gosha district, Nangarhar, Pakistan border May 2, 2013 (Reuters/VOANews.com)

 

When King Pukkusāti, in the solitude of his inner chamber, read the inscriptions on the plate, he was filled with boundless joy so much so that he decided to renounce the throne and the world.

 

He cut off his long hair and beard, donned fine robes like the coarse ones used by wandering ascetics of the day, and left the palace alone amid the lamentations of his subjects. They loved him and wanted him to say and lead them.

 

The Buddha (dharmadeshana)

He traveled the 192 leagues to the wealthy city of Sāvatthi, passing the gates of Jetavana, "Jeta's Grove," the famous Buddhist monastery where the Buddha frequently resided. But having understood from King Bimbisāra's letter that the Buddha lived in King Bimbisara's capital, Rājagaha, at Vulture's Peak monastery, he neglected to inquire if the Buddha was Jetavana. He continued his travels onward 45 leagues farther to Rājagaha, only to find that the Buddha was all the while residing in Sāvatthi.

As it was then evening, he sought lodging in Bhaggava's house. The Buddha, with his divine eye, saw what was in store for Pukkusāti. So traveling on foot from Sāvatthi, he reached Bhaggava's house at sundown. He awaited his opportunity to engage Pukkusāti in talk after a long period of meditation, which was fortuitous because it made the former king's mind and heart malleable and trainable.

When the Buddha taught him the "Analysis of the Elements Discourse" (Dhātu-vibhanga Sutra) -- which deals with the six major elements of earth, water, fire, air, space, and consciousness -- he was able to intuitively grasp and benefit from it, becoming a stream enterer then a non-returner very soon reborn fully enlightened.

"Analysis of the Elements Sutra" (Dhātuvibhanga Sutta). Meditate on this with headphones, pausing as needed, as the Buddha guides Pukkusati through the deepest levels of meditation, beyond the four material and four immaterial meditative absorptions (jhanas). Hearing this, Pukkusati was enlightened and became a non-returner, who was reborn in the Pure Abodes, where he attained nirvana without ever having to return from that world (MN 140).

After his untimely death -- which is explained in the Commentary as not being a natural or accidental occurrence -- Pukkusāti was reborn in a Pure Abode (suddhavasa) called the Avihā world where, together with six others, he became an arhat at the moment of his rebirth (see S.i.35, 60, for the names of the others and the remarkable story that led to this unusual immediate enlightenment).

Mad cow? The "cow" that killed Pukkusāti is explained, as so often happens in these strange situations, as having been a yakkhinī who was reborn a cow in 100 times. In her final rebirth as a cow, she killed, in addition to Pukkusāti, Bāhiya Dāruciriya (Bahiya "of the Barkcloth," famous in the sutras for becoming enlightened after hearing the briefest teaching of the Buddha), Tambadāthika, and Suppabuddha the leper (DhA.ii.35).

What is so remarkable about Pukkhusāti and the others who attained when reborn in the Aviha world is that they were some of the seven monks who, in the time of Kassapa Buddha, decided to abstain from eating until they should attain arhatship. They went to live on the top of a mountain and kicked down the ladder that had used to climb up to the top on.

The senior ascetic attained arhatship, the second became a non-returner, but the remaining five died of starvation -- after refusing the others' offers of food to sustain them in their practice. But they were proud and had made no such agreement to accept alms from those who had succeeded while fasting. The five were reborn in the Tusita world, a very exalted plane of existence.

In this age they became, respectively, Pukkusāti, Kumāra Kassapa, Bāhiya Dārucīriya, Dabba Mallaputta, and Sabhiya (Ap.ii.473; DhA.ii.212; UdA.81; but see MA.i.335, where only three are mentioned (Pukkusāti, Bāhiya Dārucīriya, and Kassapa).

BuddhaFest (June 19-22, 2014)

Ashley Wells and CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; BuddhaFest.org via Tricycle.com

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