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Everyone seeks peace and harmony, because these are what we lack in our lives.
From time to time we all experience agitation, irritation, disharmony, suffering;
and when we suffer from agitation, we do not keep this misery limited to ourselves.
We keep distributing it to others as well. The agitation permeates the atmosphere
around the miserable person. Everyone else who comes into contact with him becomes
irritated, agitated. Certainly this is not the proper way to live.
One ought to live at peace within oneself, and at peace with others. After all,
a human being is a social being. One has to live in society-to live and deal
with others. How to live peacefully? How to remain harmonious within ourselves,
and to maintain peace and harmony around us, so that others also can live peacefully
and harmoniously?
When one is agitated, then, to come out of it, one has to know the basic reason
for the agitation, the cause of the suffering. If one investigates the problem,
it soon becomes clear that whenever one starts generating any negativity or
defilement in the mind, one is bound to become agitated. A negativity in the
mind-a mental defilement or impurity-cannot coexist with peace and harmony.
How does one start generating negativity? Again investigating, it becomes clear.
I become very unhappy when I find someone behaving in a way which I don't like,
when I find something happening which I don't like. Unwanted things happen,
and I create tension within myself. Wanted things do not happen, some obstacles
come in the way, and again I create tension within myself; I start tying knots
within myself. Throughout one's life, unwanted things keep happening, wanted
things may or may not happen, and this process of reaction, of tying knots-Gordian
knots-makes the entire mental and physical structure so tense, so full of negativity.
Life becomes miserable.
Now one way to solve the problem is to arrange things such that nothing unwanted
happens in my life, and that everything keeps on happening exactly as I desire.
I must develop such a power-or somebody else must have the power and must come
to my aid whenever I request it-that everything I want keeps happening. But
this is not possible. There is no one in the world whose desires are always
fulfilled, in whose life everything happens according to his wishes, without
anything unwished-for happening. Things keep occurring that are contrary to
our desires and wishes. So, in spite of these things which I don't like, how
not to react blindly? How not to create tension? How to remain peaceful and
harmonious?
In India as well as in other countries, wise saintly persons of the past studied
this problem-the problem of human suffering-and they found a solution. If something
unwanted happens and one starts to react by generating anger, fear, or any negativity,
then as soon as possible one should divert one's attention to something else.
For example, get up, take a glass of water, start drinking-your anger will not
multiply; you'll be coming out of your anger. Or start counting: one, two, three,
four. Or start repeating a word, a phrase, or perhaps some mantra. It becomes
easy if you use the name of a deity or a saintly person in whom you have devotion.
The mind is diverted, and to some extent you'll be out of the negativity, out
of anger.
This solution was helpful; it worked. It still works. Practising this, the mind
feels free from agitation. In actuality, however, this solution works only at
the conscious level. By diverting one's attention one in fact pushes the negativity
deep into the unconscious, and at this level one continues to generate and multiply
the same defilement. At the surface level there is a layer of peace and harmony,
but in the depths of the mind is a sleeping volcano of suppressed negativity,
which keeps erupting in violent explosions from time to time.
Other explorers of inner truth went still further in their search. By experiencing
the reality of mind and matter within themselves, they recognized that diverting
the attention is only running away from the problem. Escape is no solution;
one must face the problem. Whenever a negativity arises in the mind, just observe
it, face it. As soon as one starts observing any mental defilement, then it
begins to lose all its strength. Slowly it withers away and is uprooted.
A good solution, avoiding both extremes of suppression and of free license.
Keeping the negativity in the unconscious will not eradicate it, and allowing
it to manifest in physical or vocal action will only create more problems. If
one just observes, then the defilement passes away: one has eradicated that
negativity, is free from that defilement.
This sounds wonderful, but is it really practical? When anger arises, it overpowers
us so quickly that we don't even notice. Then, overpowered by anger, we commit
certain actions which are harmful to us and to others. Later, when the anger
has passed, we start crying and repenting, begging pardon from this or that
person or god: "Oh, I made a mistake. Please excuse me!" Again the
next time, in a similar situation, we react in the same way. All this repenting
does not help at all.
The difficulty is that I am not aware when a defilement starts. It begins deep
at the unconscious level of the mind, and by the time it reaches the conscious
level, it has gained so much strength that it overwhelms me. I cannot observe
it.
Then I must keep a private secretary with me, so that whenever anger starts,
he says, "Look master! Anger is starting!" Since I don't know when
this anger will start, I must have three private secretaries for three shifts,
around the clock; or rather, four of them to give staggering holidays!
Suppose I can afford that, and the anger starts to arise. At once my secretary
tells me, "Oh, master, look! Anger has started." Then the first thing
I do is slap and abuse him: "You fool! Do you think you are paid to teach
me?" I am so overpowered by anger that no good advice will help.
Suppose that wisdom prevails and I do not slap him. Instead I say, "Thank
you very much. Now I must sit down and observe the anger." Is it possible?
As soon as I close my eyes and try to observe the anger, immediately the object
of anger comes into my mind, the person or incident because of which I became
angry. Then I am not observing the anger. Rather, I am observing the external
stimulus of the emotion. This will only multiply the anger. This is no solution.
It is very difficult to observe any abstract negativity, abstract emotion, divorced
from the external object which aroused it.
However, one who reached the ultimate truth in full enlightenment found a real
solution. He discovered that whenever any defilement arises in the mind, simultaneously,
two things start happening at the physical level. One is that the breath loses
its normal rhythm. I start breathing hard whenever a negativity comes into the
mind. This is one reality which everyone can experience, though it be very gross
and apparent. At the same time, at a subtler level, some kind of biochemical
reaction starts within the body-some sensation. Every defilement will generate
one sensation or the other inside, in one or another part of the body.
This is a practical solution. An ordinary person cannot observe abstract defilements
of the mind-abstract fear, anger or passion. But with proper training and practice,
it is very easy to observe the respiration and the sensations, both of which
are directly related to the mental defilements.
The respiration and the sensations will help me in two ways. First, they will
be my private secretaries. As soon as a defilement starts in the mind, my breath
will lose its normality. It will start shouting: "Look, something has gone
wrong!" I cannot slap the breath; I have to accept the warning. Similarly,
the sensations tell me: "Something has gone wrong." I must accept
this. Then, having been warned, I start observing the respiration, the sensations,
and I find very quickly that the defilement passes away.
This mental-physical phenomenon is like a coin with two sides. On the one side
is whatever thoughts or emotions arise in the mind. On the other side are the
respiration and sensation in the body. Any thought or emotion (whether conscious
or unconscious), any mental defilement manifests in the breath and sensation
of that moment. Thus by observing the respiration or sensation, I am indirectly
observing the mental defilement. Instead of running away from the problem, I
am facing the reality as it is. Then I will find that the defilement loses its
strength; it can no longer overpower me as it did in the past. If I persist,
the defilement eventually disappears altogether and I remain peaceful and happy.
In this way, the technique of self-observation shows us reality in its two aspects,
outside and inside. Previously, one always looked with open eyes, missing the
inner truth. I always looked outside for the cause of my unhappiness. I always
blamed and tried to change the reality outside. Being ignorant of the inner
reality, I never understood that the cause of suffering lies within, in my own
blind reactions.
It is difficult to observe an abstract negativity when it arises. But now, by
training, I can see the other side of the coin: I can be aware of the breathing
and also of what is happening inside me. Whatever it is, the breath or any sensation,
I learn to just observe it, without losing the balance of the mind. I stop multiplying
my miseries. Instead, I allow the defilement to manifest and pass away.
The more one practises this technique, the more one will find how quickly he
or she can come out of the negativity. Gradually the mind becomes freed of defilements;
it becomes pure. A pure mind is always full of love, detached love for all others;
full of compassion for the failings and sufferings of others; full of joy at
their success and happiness; full of equanimity in the face of any situation.
When one reaches this stage, then the entire pattern of one's life starts changing.
It is no longer possible for one to do anything vocally or physically which
will disturb the peace and happiness of others. Instead, the balanced mind not
only becomes peaceful in itself, it helps others to become peaceful also. The
atmosphere surrounding such a person will become permeated with peace and harmony,
and this will start affecting others too.
This is what the Buddha taught, an art of living. He never established or taught
any religion, any "ism." He never instructed followers to practise
any rites or rituals, any blind or empty formalities. Instead, he taught to
just observe nature as it is, by observing the reality inside. Out of ignorance,
one keeps reacting in a way which is harmful to oneself and to others. Then
when wisdom arises-the wisdom of observing the reality as it is-one comes out
of this blind reaction. When one ceases to react blindly, then one is capable
of real action, action proceeding from a balanced, equanimous mind, a mind which
sees and understands the truth. Such action can only be positive, creative,
helpful to oneself and to others.
What is necessary, then, is to "know thyself"-advice which every wise
person has given. One must know oneself not just at the intellectual level,
at the level of ideas and theories. Nor does this mean to know oneself at the
devotional or emotional level, simply accepting blindly what one has heard or
read. Such knowledge is not enough.
Rather, one must know reality at the actual level. One must experience directly
the reality of this mental-physical phenomenon. This alone is what will help
us to come out of defilements, out of sufferings.
This direct experience of reality within one's own self, this technique of self-observation,
is what is called Vipassana meditation. In the language of India in the time
of the Buddha, passana meant to look, to see with open eyes, in the ordinary
way. But vipassana is to observe things as they really are, not just as they
seem to be. Apparent truth has to be penetrated, until one reaches the ultimate
truth of the entire mental and physical structure. When one experiences this
truth, then one learns to stop reacting blindly, to stop creating defilements.
Naturally the old defilements are gradually eradicated. One comes out of all
miseries, and experiences happiness.
There are three steps to the training which is given in a Vipassana course.
First, one must abstain from any action, physical or vocal, which disturbs the
peace and harmony of others. One cannot work to liberate oneself from defilements
in the mind while at the same time continuing to perform deeds of body and speech
which only multiply those defilements. Therefore a code of morality is the essential
first step of the practice. One undertakes not to kill, not to steal, not to
commit sexual misconduct, not to speak lies, and not to use intoxicants. By
abstaining from such actions, one allows the mind to quiet down.
The next step is to develop some mastery over this wild mind, by training it
to remain fixed on a single object, the breath. One tries to keep one's attention
on the respiration for as long as possible. This is not a breathing exercise;
one does not regulate the breath. Instead one observes the natural respiration
as it is, as it comes in, as it goes out. In this way one further calms the
mind, so that it is no longer overpowered by violent negativities. At the same
time, one is concentrating the mind, making it sharp and penetrating, capable
of the work of insight.
These first two steps of living a moral life and controlling the mind are very
necessary and beneficial in themselves. But they will lead to self-repression
unless one takes the third step: purifying the mind of defilements, by developing
insight into one's own nature. This, really, is Vipassana: experiencing one's
own reality, through the systematic and dispassionate observation of the ever-changing
mind-matter phenomenon manifesting itself as sensations within oneself. This
is the culmination of the teaching of the Buddha: self-purification through
self-observation.
This can be practised by one and all. The disease is not sectarian, therefore
the remedy cannot be sectarian: it must be universal. Everyone faces the problem
of suffering. When one suffers from anger, it is not Buddhist anger, Hindu anger,
Christian anger. Anger is anger. Due to anger, when one becomes agitated, it
is not a Christian agitation, or Hindu, or Buddhist agitation. The malady is
universal. The remedy must also be universal.
Vipassana is such a remedy. No one will object to a code of living which respects
the peace and harmony of others. No one will object to developing control of
the mind. No one will object to developing insight into one's own reality, by
which it is possible to free the mind of negativites. It is a universal path.
It is not a cult. It is not a dogma. It is not blind faith.
Observing the reality as it is, by observing truth inside-this is knowing oneself
at the actual, experiential level. And as one practises, one starts coming out
of the misery of defilements. From the gross, external apparent truth, one penetrates
to the ultimate truth of mind and matter. Then one transcends that and experiences
a truth which is beyond mind and matter, beyond time and space, beyond the conditioned
field of relativity: the truth of total liberation from all defilements, all
impurities, all suffering. Whatever name one gives this ultimate truth is irrelevant.
It is the final goal of everyone.
May all of you experience this ultimate truth. May all people everywhere come
out of their defilements, their misery. May they enjoy real happiness, real
peace, real harmony.