How to reach enlightenment: 3 things

Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells, Wisdom Quarterly; Ven. Nyanasatta (DN 22)

There are four meditation postures -- walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. Because the goal is calm-wakefulness, sitting is best in the long run (Sue90ca/flickr.com).

  

The Buddha's mudra (Nilantha Hettige)

As the new year is about to begin (judging from the more accurate and ancient lunar calendar), it's time to commit. Nothing is so useful, so sane-making, so beneficial as intensive practice. 

The Dharma is just a set of ideal ideas, a beautiful view of the universe, which explains everything important. But it is never real until we make it our own insight, our own realization. "Buddhism" is not a system of belief; it is a system of practices (a systematic set of practices, a path). The Truth is there for all to see -- yet the only ones who'll see it are the practitioners.

 

How to (jhanasadvice.com)

What is there to practice? The historical Buddha Shakyamuni said three things are crucial. 

• First, there's restraint, the Five Precepts. These make us human. They are VIRTUE (sila).
• Second, there's CALM-collectedness (samadhi), the beginnings of the first four absorptions (jhānas, dhyana) or enough focus, togetherness, unification of mind, enough appeasement of the heart to be serene and stable. 
• Third, there's WISDOM (paññā, prajna). By adding four specific kinds of mindfulness practices, four "foundations" or pillars, to the serenity-practice, liberating-insight arises.

Meditation means more than intensive sitting.

If the ultimate aim of the Path is nirvana then the way there is enlightenment. Enlightenment needs insight, and insight arises on a foundation of calm-"concentratedness."*

A serene, tranquil, purified (i.e., a heart/mind temporarily released from the oppression of the defilements and fetters) is possible with basic virtue aided by a focus that excludes all other stimuli. (If meditating on breath, stay with the breath all of the time in all  postures, moving slowly, remaining silent). The time to build this focus are periods of intensive meditation, which build momentum until one breaks through to complete freedom.

  

Compassion accompanies virtue and increases with the purification that results from tranquil-concentratedness.* Its consummation is arrived at with wisdom. There is no wisdom without compassion.

*"Concentratedness" is odd wording, of course, but we use it to emphasize the effortlessness involved in getting there, getting to that "zen," that dhyana, that jhana. The route is the opposite of "trying," "struggling," and "efforting" -- as if one were trying to get, grasp, or cling to a goal. The way to "strive" is to let go, to practice the yogic art of sthirasukha, "effort-ease": Sit up, sit still, sit silent. (This is the effort arrived at by letting go of "doing"). But then just sit sinking into a very pleasant wakeful-ease (arrived at by letting go of "struggling"). 

Knowing and seeing (Sukhothai-tourism)

This is the diligence, the general-mindfulness, the vigilance that leads to success. The specific mindfulness practices that follow are outlined in the Maha Satipatthana Sutra; they are detailed under a qualified meditation instructor, one who has succeeded on the Path. As Americans, we say we'll do it ourselves, but we won't do it ourselves. Even the Buddha could not have done it himself, if we read his story carefully.

Teaching members of the Noble Sangha (Community) are not easy to find, but they exist. Contact us and we will point them out. Many of them are not monastics. People say they do not exist nowadays, but they do. When they cease to exist in the world, there will be no more Buddhism. The Path will go unknown until it is rediscovered aeons later.

“There is only one thing more painful than learning from experience and that is not learning from experience.”

- Macliesh

 

The wandering ascetic Siddhartha found out the hard way that struggling, trying, stressing, and straining is the way to FAILURE, frustration, fraud, and finally giving up. Most educated people have heard the story of how Siddhartha became the Buddha. Note that it was not by severe austerity, energy (virile effort, viriya), and determination. It was by not giving up yet dropping the struggle. He realized that he had been avoiding the jhanas (absorptions), that he had been afraid of pleasure. But jhana is a blameless pleasure; it is supersensual. 

Happiness awaits. Enlightenment guaranteed!

Craving, indulging, and delighting in sense pleasure does not lead to the fruit of enlightenment. But the absorptions alone do not lead to enlightenment either! It is only when they are used in the service of establishing a base for the setting up of the Four Foundations (Pillars) of Mindfulness. Then the absorptions catalyze the process. If mindfulness is the nitro, then absorption is the sweet glycerine. Insight is almost immediate, like an explosive chemical reaction with the right balance of ingredients. What are the ingredients? Just these three: virtue, calm-concentratedness, and wisdom.

How long will it take?

By the way, how long will this take? That's easy. Practice in this way and enlightenment will take seven days, or at most seven years. Enlightenment is guaranteed. Read the sutra. Near the end it says:

 

Sutra: Enlightenment guaranteed

"Fourfold Setting Up of Mindfulness," Maha Satipatthana Sutta (DN 22, MN 10)

The shift: meditation changes our perspective (PeterFroehlich/flickr.com).

 

..."Verily, meditators, whosoever practices these Four Foundations of Mindfulness in this manner for seven years, then one of two fruits may be expected -- highest knowledge (full enlightenment) here and now or, if some remainder of clinging is yet present, the stage of non-returner.

 

"O meditators, let alone seven years! Should any person practice these Four Foundations of Mindfulness in this manner for six years... five years... four years... three years... two years... one year, then one of two fruits may be expected -- highest knowledge here and now or, if some remainder of clinging is yet present, the stage of non-returner.

 

"O meditators, let alone a year! Should any person practice these Four Foundations of Mindfulness in this manner for seven months... six months... five months... four months... three months... two months... a month... half a month, then one of two fruits may be expected -- highest knowledge here and now or, if some remainder of clinging is yet present, the stage of non-returner.

 

"O meditators, let alone half a month! Should any person practice these Four Foundations of Mindfulness in this manner for seven days [a week], then one of these two fruits may be expected -- highest knowledge here and now or, if some remainder of clinging is yet present, the stage of non-returner.

 

"Because of this it was said: 'Meditators, this is the direct way that leads to enlightenment, to the purification of beings, to the overcoming of all sorrow and misery, to the destruction of disappointment and grief, to reaching the right path, for the attainment of nirvana, namely the Four Foundations of Mindfulness.'"

Knowing and Seeing (sutra)

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly translation "The Ship," Nava Sutta (SN 22.101)

The Buddha reclining into nirvana, Thailand flooding (framework.latimes.com)

  

SAVATTHI, ancient India - The Blessed One said, "O meditators, I tell you, the defilements (āsavas) end for one who knows and sees [who has wisdom and direct intuitive vision]. 

"For one who knows what, for one who sees what, is there the end of the defilements? 'Such is form [feeling, perception, formations, consciousness], such its origination, such its passing away.' It is for one who knows this, who sees this, that the defilements end.

 

"Even if a meditator -- failing to devote effort to development -- were to wish, 'O that my mind/heart might be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging!' still one's mind would not be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging. Why?

"It is due to a lack of development, it should be answered. A lack of development of what? It is due to a lack of developing the:

1. Four Foundations of Mindfulness
2. Four Right Efforts
3. Four Bases of Power
4. Five Controlling Faculties
5. Five Powers
6. Seven Factors for Enlightenment
7. Eight Factors of the Noble Path. [Collectively these 37 factors in seven groups are known as the "Requisites of Enlightenment" or bodhipakkhiya dhamma.]

I laid them; that should be enough.

"Suppose a hen has eight, ten, or 12 eggs. If she fails to cover them correctly, protect them correctly, incubate them correctly then, even if she were to wish, 'O that my chicks might break through the shells with their beaks and claws and hatch safely!' still it would not happen that those chicks would break through their shells and hatch safely. Why? 

"It is because the hen failed to covered them correctly, protect them correctly, incubate them correctly. In the same way, even if a meditator, failing to devote effort to development, were to wish, 'O that my heart/mind might be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging!' still one's mind/heart would not be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging. Why? 

"It is due to a lack of development, it should be answered. A lack of development of what? It is due to a lack of developing the [37 Requisites of Enlightenment].

Ship in a bottle in a storm like a castaway message (wallmay.net)

  

Success without wishing

"In just the same way, even if a meditator -- devoting effort to development -- were NOT to wish, 'O that my heart/mind might be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging!' — still one's mind/heart would be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging. Why?

"It is due to development, it should be answered. A development of what? It is due to development of the [37 Requisites of Enlightenment].

 

"Suppose a hen has eight, ten, or 12 eggs she covers correctly, protects correctly, incubates correctly. Even if she were not to wish, 'O that my chicks might break through their shells with their beaks and claws and hatch safely!' still those chicks will break through their shells and hatch safely. Why?

"It is because the hen has covered them, protected them, incubated them correctly.

"In the same way, even though a meditator -- devoting effort to development -- were not to wish, 'O that my heart/mind might be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging!' still one's mind/heart would be released from the defilements by abandoning clinging. Why?

"It is due to development, it should be answered. A development of what? The  [37 Requisites of Enlightenment].

  

Wearing away

The Buddha, Sukhothai, Thailand (ashabot/flickr)

"Just as when a carpenter or apprentice sees finger marks on worn into the handle of a tool but does not know exactly, 'Today my tool handle wore down this much, or yesterday wore down that much, or the day before yesterday wore down that much.' Nevertheless, the carpenter or apprentice knows it is worn down when it is worn down.

"In the same way, when a meditator dwells devoted to effort in development, one does not know, 'Today the defilements wore down this much, or yesterday wore down that much, or the day before yesterday wore down that much.' Nevertheless, one knows they are worn down when they are worn down.

 

Rotten ship crumbles and sinks (DM)

"Just as when an seafaring ship, rigged with sails and masts, after months on the water, is left on shore for the winter, its sails -- weathered by sun and wind, moistened by clouds during the rainy season -- easily rots and crumbles away. 

"In just the same way, when a meditator dwells devoted to development, one's defilements [bonds] easily rot and crumble way."

• Knowing and Seeing by Pa Auk Sayadaw The Three Trainings of virtuous conduct, concentration (absorption), and wisdom are the three stages of Buddhist practice. Through the practice of these Three Trainings an ordinary person can attain supreme nirvana and become a noble one. The Path of Purification, compiled by Ven. Buddhaghosa, is an exposition of the Three Trainings based on the Pali sutras and commentaries, which explains the Seven Stages of Purification and the 16 insight-knowledges.
• See "Discourse on All Defilements" (MN 2) Which defilements should be removed through vision? 17. "Monastics! What are the defilements that should be removed through vision? In the world the uninstructed worldlings not in the habit of seeing the noble [enlightened] ones, who is not proficient in the Dharma of the noble ones, and who is not trained and disciplined in the Dharma [and Vinaya] of the noble ones, who is not in the habit of seeing the virtuous [enlightened], who is not proficient in the Dharma of the virtuous, and who is not trained and disciplined in the Dharma of the virtuous, does not know the factors..."

What is needed for enlightenment?

Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly (UPDATED)

Golden Buddha (Sharon Cummings/buyabstractartpaintingssharoncummings/flickr)

There are three kinds of fully enlightened individuals: personal (arhat), nonteaching (pacceka-), and supreme teacher (sammasam-) buddhas (BDrunz/flickr.com).

 

Buddhism is a well packed SET of (seven) teachings. The problem is dukkha (disappointment, suffering, distress, misery, unsatisfactoriness), so the goal is liberation or freedom from all conditional phenomena.
 

1 Thing 
The Buddha only taught one thing -- Dharma, the means to the end of every kind of suffering. This ancient Sanskrit word has at least a dozen distinct meanings. But it could be summed up as "truth" (lowercase t, the pre-Buddhist term dharma meaning Truth, uppercase T), nature, that which stands unaffected by time.

The Doctrine (Dharma) points at the Truth (dharma). It is only a pointer. It is not the Truth. The Truth cannot be expressed with words or concepts or thinking, which is often how we approach things, attempting to grasp and label and argue about them.
 

The Buddha "Turning the Wheel of the Dharma" delivered to the Five Ascetics, Deer Park, Sarnath, India, suburbs of Varanasi, now set in stone on site.

 
One simile is that the Buddha points at the Moon. The Moon is the dharma. But people neglect to see the Moon, instead focusing on the pointing, the Dharma (Buddhist Doctrine or Teachings or instructions on getting to direct realization).
 
It doesn't help that the distinctions are so fine or that the word "Dharma" (as the Teachings or Doctrines of Buddhism) is not universally capitalized to distinguish it from dharma, which uncaptialized in Buddhist Sanskrit refers to phenomena or "things."
 

2 Things
The Buddha only taught Dharma, which means he only taught two things -- the problem and the solution. Suffering (dukkha) is the problem. Release from all suffering (nirvana) is the solution.
 

Dharma wheel (chakra), the True Wheel, Wheel of the Law (lawfulness or regularity of the universe), with eight spokes of the Noble Eightfold Path.

  
3 Things 
It can be said that in this regard, the Buddha taught three things: Sutras (conventional discourses), Discipline (Vinaya), and Abhidharma (the profound Dharma, the Ultimate Teachings on Dependent Origination, mind and body, psychology and physics, ultimate-consciousness and ultimate-materiality, and the exacting details of the Path to liberation from suffering).
 

4 Things 
Of course, how could all of this ever be stated succinctly? Buddhism, the Buddha-Dharma, all that points towards the Truth that shall set one free is summarized and taught as four things, the Four Noble Truths: (1) we have a problem, (2) it has a cause, (3) it has a solution, and (3) this is the way to the solution.
 

Seven Factors: mindfulness, investigation, effort, joy, serenity, absorption, and nonbias.

 
Because Buddhism so well packed, what do people ever learn about it but lists? An introduction, that's what. And that introduction is usually just lists out of context. We are constantly being introduced to Buddhism. When do we get an advanced or even an intermediate teaching? When does practice go beyond preliminary lists to unpack the wonderful Dharma within? Rarely.

7 Things
One crucial listing of proximate causes of awakening is called the Seven Factors of Enlightenment: Mindfulness (sati), keen investigation of phenomena, energy (viriya), rapture or joy (piti), calm (passaddhi), concentration or absorption (samadhi [first four jhanas]), and equanimity (upekkha). While these are important, they are in fact part of a more comprehensive set of factors.
 

37 Things 
So here it is. Monastic-scholars gathered all that pertains directly to enlightenment -- to "liberation from suffering" in this very life. They enumerated 37 things taught by the Buddha as indispensable aids to enlightenment.
 

These seven sets (many items appearing in more than one set for a total of 37) are together called the Requisites of Enlightenment ("things pertaining to enlightenment") not to be confused with the Seven Factors of Enlightenment (bojjhangas), which is but one of the sets.
 

The Requisites of Enlightenment
Ven. Ledi Sayadaw

1. Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Satipaṭṭhāna)
2. Four Right Efforts (Sammā-padhāna)
3. Four Bases of Success (Iddhipāda)
4. Five Controlling Faculties (Indriya)
5. Five Mental Powers (Bala)
6. Seven Factors of Enlightenment (Bojjhaṅga)
7. Noble Eightfold Path (Maggaṅga)

The bodhipakkhiya-dharma are those things related to enlightenment or awakening (bodhi), which here refers to the knowledge of the paths and fruits of liberating wisdom (magga-nāṇa). They are dharmas (mental phenomena, things) with the function of being proximate causes, requisite ingredients, and bases of, or sufficient conditions (upanissaya) for, path-knowledge. ["Path knowledge" begins with the path of stream entry, the first stage of enlightenment, and is distinguished from fruits.]

• THE DETAILS: The Requisites of Enlightenment: A Manual

Wisdom Quarterly's Instructions in Brief
Withdraw the senses, go silent, still both body and mind, enter absorption (jhana). Develop facility entering and emerging from first four absorptions. Emerge from fourth absorption, immediately take up contemplation of the causal links of Dependent Origination for insight, having set up Fourfold Mindfulness. Breakthrough to first realization (anatta), glimpsing nirvana and thereby gaining stream entry. That's it.
 
This knowing-and-seeing will ensure final realization, full enlightenment (arhatship), within a fixed number of lives. Stream entry means a change of lineage (liberating-wisdom), as one becomes a "noble one" with no possibility of falling back, one of the few in all the universe to put a limit on suffering.
 
(Or as a "shortcut" that may ironically take longer, work very hard in this life, and perhaps future lives, as a sincerely meditative and contemplative monastic then have sudden realization occur effortlessly in a future life neither being able to explain how or why it happened). So rare is a human life that one should not wait to practice. Practice the Path here and now. The karmic results will be of benefit everywhere and in all circumstances life after life.

Why become a Buddhist ascetic? (King Milinda)

Amber Larson and Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly, "The Questions of King Milinda" [Menander] (Miln), Milindapañha (as.miami.edu/phi/bio/Buddha/Milinda)

Indo-Greco art from Mes Aynak ("Copper Well"), Afghanistan (irtiqa-blog.com)

 

Lay Life vs. Monasticism

Greek King Milinda (Menander 1) coin

King Milinda (Greek, Menander) asked the Buddhist sage: "Venerable Nagasena, the Blessed One has said:
 
"‘Right spiritual progress is praiseworthy for householders and wandering ascetics alike. Both householders and wandering ascetics, when progressing rightly, can accomplish, because of their right progress, the right method, the Dharma, which is wholesome.’ 

"If, Nagasena, a householder, dressed in white, enjoying the pleasures of the senses, inhabiting a house overcrowded with spouse and family, using fragrant sandalwood of Benares, as well as garlands, perfumes, and creams, owning gold and silver, wearing a turban ornamented with gold and jewels, can, if s/he progresses rightly, accomplish the right method, the Dharma, the wholesome, and if a wandering ascetic, bald-headed, clad in saffron robe, dependent on alms offerings for a livelihood, careful to fulfil correctly the four sections of monastic virtue, submitting to the 150 path-to-liberation (pratimoksa) rules, and observing all 13 Sane Ascetic Practices (dhutanga), without omitting any, can also, if progressing rightly, accomplish the right method, the Dharma, the wholesome -- then, venerable sir, What is the difference between the householder and the wandering ascetic? 

 

"Fruitless is your austerity, useless is the homeless (wandering ascetic) life, barren is the observation of the monastic rules, in vain do you observe the sane ascetic practices! What is the use of inflicting pain upon yourself if you can gain nirvana while remaining at ease?"

UCLA: Save Buddhist-Afghan site (WQ)

Nagasena replied: "You have quoted the Blessed One's words correctly, your majesty. To make right progress is indeed the most excellent thing of all.

"And if the wandering ascetic, in the consciousness of being a wandering ascetic, should fail to progress rightly, then one would be far from the state of an ascetic, far from a supreme life. Still more so would that apply to a householder dressed in white.

"But both the householder and the wandering ascetic are alike in that, when they progress rightly, they accomplish the right method, the Dharma, the wholesome.

Wish-fulfilling gem

"Nevertheless, your majesty, it is the wandering ascetic who is the master of the pure life. To be a wandering ascetic has many and numerous, even infinite, virtues (benefits). To measure the virtues of being a wandering ascetic is not at all possible. It is like a [chintamani] jewel that fulfills all one's wishes; one cannot measure its value in terms of money and say that it is worth so much.

 

Like the waves in the great ocean, one cannot measure and say that there are so many. All that the wandering ascetic still has to do, one succeeds in doing rapidly and without taking a long time over it. And why is that? It is because the wandering ascetic, your majesty, is content with little, easily pleased, secluded from the world, not addicted to society, energetic, independent, solitary, perfect in conduct, austere in practice, skilled in all that concerns inner purification and spiritual progress.

 

Beautiful Buddhist jewelry recovered from the Mes Aynak monastic complex/town archeological site, Afghanistan, suggesting that beauty, baubles, and sensual delights were quite popular. Treasure dated from 500 AD to 700 AD (Kadir/Salam Viking).

 

Such a person is like your javelin, your majesty -- smooth, even, well polished, straight, clean, and shining. When it is well thrown, it will fly exactly as you want it to. In the same way, whatever the wandering ascetic still has to do, one succeeds in doing it all rapidly and without taking a long time over it."

 

"Well spoken, Nagasena. So it is, and so I accept it."

Nagasena continued: "In any case, your majesty, all those who as householders, living in a home and in the enjoyment of sensual pleasures, realize the peace of nirvana, the highest good, they have all been trained in former lives in the 13 Sane Ascetic Practices peculiar to [Buddhist monastic] disciples, and through them they have laid the foundations for their present realization and attainment. It is because they had purified their conduct and behavior by means of them then that now even as householders, living in a home and in the enjoyment of sense pleasures, they can realize the peace of nirvana, the highest good.

Child plays with novice monk, Leh, Ladakh, Buddhist India (Vincenzo Rossi/flickr.com)

 

House or Monastery? 

Bad dog! Check your motives.

"But whoever enters the Monastic Order bad motives -- from covetousness, deceitfully, out of greed and gluttony, desirous of gain, fame, or reputation, unsuitably, unqualified, unfit, unworthy, unseemly -- that person shall incur a twofold comeuppance, which will prove ruinous to all one's good qualities.

In this very life, one shall be scorned, derided, reproached, ridiculed, and mocked. One shall be shunned, expelled, ejected, removed, and banished. 

What could account for Sam winning the "Ugliest Dog in the World" contest? (EIT)

  

Aw, poor baby! (ugliest dog in the world)

In the next life, like foam which is tossed about, up and down and across, one shall cook for many hundreds of thousands of aeons (kalpas, which also be interpreted as meaning "ordinary lifespans") in the great Waveless Deep (Avici) hell, which is a hundred leagues big, and all ablaze with hot, scorching, fierce, and fiery flames. 

"And when one has been released thence, one's entire body will become emaciated, rough, and black, one's head swollen, bloated and full of holes. 

As hungry as a ghost or preta (WP)

Hungry and thirsty, disagreeable and dreadful to look at, one's ears all torn, eyes constantly blinking, entire body one putrid mass of sores, dense with maggots, bowels afire and blazing like a mass of fire fanned by a breeze, helpless and unprotected, weeping, crying, wailing, and lamenting, consumed by unsatisfied longings -- that person who once was a religious wanderer shall then as a large hungry ghost roam about on the earth bewailing that fate.
 

"But if, on the other hand, a person enters the Monastic Order (Sangha) suitably, qualified, fit, worthy and seemly, content with little, easily pleased, secluded (withdrawing and protecting the senses) from the worldly, not addicted to society, energetic and resolute, without fraud or deceit, not gluttonous, not desirous of gain, fame, or reputation, devout and with confidence (saddha, faith), out of a desire to free oneself from old age and death and to uphold the Buddha's dispensation (sasana), then one deserves to be honored in two ways, by both devas and humans.

 

The devas find one dear (wallpaper.365greetings.com)

  

Beauty pageant

"One is dear and pleasing to them. They love and seek after one. One is to them as fine jasmine flowers are to a person bathed and anointed with oil, or good food to the hungry, or a cool, clear, and fragrant drink to the thirsty, or an effective medicine [antidote] to those who are poisoned, or a superb chariot drawn by thoroughbreds to those who want to travel quickly, or a wish-fulfilling jewel to those who want to enrich themselves, or a brilliantly white parasol, the [spaceship-like] emblem of royalty, to those who would like to be rulers, or as the supreme attainment of the fruit of enlightenment (arhatship) to those who wish for Dharma.

The 37 Requisites of Enlightenment

 "In that person

• The Four Foundations (Posts or Pillars) of Mindfulness reach their full development, as do
• The Four Right Efforts,
• The Four Roads to [Psychic] Success,
• The Five Faculties,
• The Five Powers,
• The Seven Factors of Enlightenment, and
• The Noble Eightfold Path.

"One attains to calm and insight, and one's progressive attainments continue to mature, and one becomes a repository of the Four Fruits of the Spiritual Life (Samana Phala), of the Four Analytical Knowledges, the Threefold Knowledge, and the Six Super Knowledges, in short, of the whole Dharma of the spiritual life, and one is consecrated with the brilliantly white parasol of emancipation." More