I remember the first time I met Sayagyi
U Ba Khin. I had gone with great attachment to my beliefs and misgivings about
the teaching of the Buddha. Sayagyi knew that I was a leader of the local Indian
Hindu community. He asked me, "Do you Hindus have any objection to sila-a
life of morality, to samadhi-mastery over the mind and to panna-wisdom to purify
the mind?" How could I object! How could anybody object! He continued,
"Well, this is what the Buddha taught. This is all I am interested in and
this is all that I am going to teach you." Sayagyi's interpretation of
Dhamma was universal and non-sectarian. He had no problem in my being a Hindu.
My first Vipassana course introduced me to the teachings of the Buddha and transformed
my life forever. I was pulled like a magnet to his logical, practical, pragmatic,
universal and non-sectarian teaching. There was nothing objectionable in it.
I had been hearing about and talking about the eradication of defilements and
the purification of mind. When I started observing sensations, initially there
were moments of doubt, "How is this going to help me?" But soon I
realized that by observing sensations, I am going to the root of the defilements.
I was actually walking towards the goal of full liberation. Whatever Sayagyi
taught me was not merely to develop faith or to satisfy the intellect, though
both are important. He taught me the way to know the truth at the experiential
level. If anybody had tried to convince me about the teaching of the Buddha
by intellectual discussion, logic or argument, I would not have been convinced
as I was fully satisfied with my own beliefs. What convinced me and gave me
here-and-now results was the experience of the truth through bodily sensations.
This tangible tool gave me the confidence that I could indeed become sthitaprajna
(thitapanno) which is the cherished goal of every Hindu.
The more I practised, the more I was convinced that the Buddha was the foremost
scientist of mind and matter, the foremost analyst of the truth about suffering
and its eradication. And what makes him a peerless scientist is the discovery
that tanhatanha (trsnatrsna, craving) arises in response to vedana. I had studied
the teachings of the Indian spiritual teachers before and after the Buddha who
also accept tanha as the cause of misery, but for them tanha arises because
of the sense objects only. They miss the most important link: not one of them
discusses vedana and its relation to tanha. They always pronounce sense objects
to be the cause of tanhatanha. Tanha is craving. Craving for continuing or acquiring
that which is pleasant and craving to get rid of or repelling that which is
unpleasant. Therefore tanha actually means both craving and aversion.
The discovery of the Buddha, that the real cause of tanha lies in vedana, is
the unparalleled gift of the Buddha to humanity. With this one discovery he
gave us the key to open the door of liberation within ourselves. Others proclaimed
salayatana paccaya tanha; the Buddha discovered and disclosed that vedana paccaya
tanha, which means that defilements arise at the level of vedana and in response
to vedana. It is logical that if tanha arises in response to vedana, any endeavour
to reach the root of tanha and to eradicate tanha must include the understanding
of vedana, the experience of it and the knowledge of how it causes craving and
aversion, and the wisdom to know how it can be used for the eradication of tanha.
Samahito sampajano, sato Buddhassa savako;
vedana ca pajanati, vedanananca sambhavam.
Yattha ceta nirujjhanti, magganca khayagaminam;
vedananam khaya bhikkhu, nicchatonicchato parinibbuto'ti.1
A follower of the Buddha, with concentration, awareness and constant thorough
understanding of impermanence, knows with wisdom the sensations, their arising,
their cessation and the path leading to their end.
A meditator who has reached the end (has experienced the entire range) of sensations
(and has gone beyond) is freed from craving, is fully liberated.
This is why the Buddha practised and taught the meditation of awareness of mind
and matter (nama and rupa). RupaRupa includes kaya (body) and vedana is felt
on kaya. NamaNama includes cittacitta (consciousness) and the dhammasdhammas
(mental concomitants) arising on it. Vedana is also a cetasikacetasika (mental
concomitant). When the Buddha says, sabbe dhamma vedana samosaranasabbe dhamma
vedana samosarana, it means that the experience of all mental concomitants includes
and is inseparable from vedana. Hence according to my understanding of the teaching
of the Buddha, not only do kayanupassanakayanupassana and vedananupassanavedananupassana
involve the awareness of vedana but vedana also forms an integral part of dhammanupassanadhammanupassana
and cittanupassanacittanupassana. A meditator whether practising kayanupassana
or vedananupassana or cittanupassana or dhammanupassana, continues to be aware
of vedana. He realizes the phenomenon of arising (samudayadhammanupassisamudayadhammanupassi)
and the phenomenon of passing away (vayadhammanupassivayadhammanupassi) by maintaining
awareness of vedana with the understanding of its impermanent nature. Thus he
does not allow tanha to arise in response to vedana: He responds neither with
tanha of craving towards a pleasant sensation nor with tanha of aversion towards
an unpleasant sensation. A meditator maintains upekkha (equanimity) based on
understanding of anicca (impermanence).
My journey within clearly showed me that a behaviour pattern is formed in the
darkness of ignorance where one keeps reacting with craving and aversion, knowingly
or unknowingly, towards bodily sensations. Thus, one becomes a slave of one's
behaviour pattern and keeps reacting to sensations at the deepest level. The
anusaya kilesaanusaya kilesa are sleeping volcanos, the latent behaviour patterns,
of blind reaction to sensations. The Buddha's discovery helps a meditator to
come out of this blind behaviour pattern. Among the many meditation techniques
of India and other parts of the world that I have come across or have heard
about, there is none that goes to the root cause of the defilements of craving
and aversion and eradicates them. In no other technique is the way to eradicate
even the latent tendencies of craving, aversion and ignorance so clearly spelled
out.
"Sukhaya, bhikkhave, vedanaya raganusayo pahatabbo, dukkhaya vedanaya patighanusayo
pahatabbo, adukkhamasukhaya vedanaya avijjanusayo pahatabbo."2
Eradicate the latent tendency of craving using pleasant sensations (by equanimous
observation of the pleasant sensations understanding their changing nature),
eradicate latent tendency of aversion using unpleasant sensations and eradicate
the latent tendency of ignorance using neutral sensations.
I realized this to be a unique contribution of the Buddha to humanity. The question
that arises now is what do we call vedana? It is clear from the words of the
Buddha that vedana is one of the four aggregates of mind (sanna, sankhara and
vinnana being the other three) and that it plays a vital role in liberation
from misery. The Buddha gave importance to the vedana that one feels on the
body. The vedana that one feels on the body is experienced by the vedana khandha
(feeling aggregate) of nama, rather, it is the vedana khandhavedana khandha
of nama. Rupa (matter) in itself cannot experience sensations arising on it.
For the meditation of liberation from misery, bodily sensations are important.
This does not mean that mental feeling (somanassa and domanassa) is to be ignored;
it continues simultaneously.
The tradition in which I drank the nectar of benevolent Dhamma that liberates
one from all misery is called the tradition of Ledi Sayadaw,tradition of Ledi
Sayadaw which is actually the tradition of the Buddha. This tradition gives
all importance to the sensations that one feels on the body. When I took my
first course at the feet of Sayagyi U Ba Khin, I was extremely attracted to
this unique aspect of meditation. My first Vipassana course showed me that mere
intellectual knowledge of the impermanent nature of mind and matter phenomenon
can purify only the intellect to some extent. It does not change us at the depth
of the mind where we remain slaves of our behaviour patterns and keep on reacting
in utter ignorance.
I benefited so much from this technique of meditation that I started reading
the words of the Buddha in accordance with my teacher's advice. I was also curious
to find out why India lost this noble teaching. I had been told from childhood
that the Buddha incorporated good points from our tradition in his teaching
and then added delusion to it, and had not discovered anything new. My experience
turned out to be contrary to this belief. I found the Buddha's teaching to be
very beneficial. This led to a further exploration to find the truth about these
statements. Reading the words of the Buddha (Tipitaka) gave me so much joy!
How wrong my earlier information turned out to be! It showed how the Buddha's
emphasis was on actual experience of the truth. How could a teaching so firmly
grounded in reality lead to delusions? I could detect no trace of falsehood
on this path. The words bhavito bahulikatobhavito bahulikato-know with your
own experience and thus gain and multiply knowledge occurs many times in Tipitaka.
The Buddha said again and again, "jana, passa"-know thyself, with
your own experience. The actual experience of the truth, as it is, ensures that
there are no illusions or delusions, no imagination or any blind beliefs on
this path. The words of the Buddha also confirmed my experience that the physical,
bodily sensations are of utmost importance to the art of liberation from all
suffering.
While describing dukkha it is said, "Katamanca, bhikkhave, dukkham? Yam
kho, bhikkhave, kayikam dukkham kayikam asatam kayasamphassajam dukkham asatam
vedayitam, idam vuccati, bhikkhave, dukkham."3
"What now, O monks, is pain? If there is, O monks, any kind of bodily pain,
any kind of bodily unpleasantness or any kind of painful or unpleasant feeling
as a result of bodily contact-this, O monks, is called pain."
And while describing domanassadomanassa it is said, "Katamanca, bhikkhave,
domanassam? Yam kho, bhikkhave, cetasikam dukkham cetasikam asatam manosamphassajam
dukkham asatam vedayitam, idam vuccati, bhikkhave, domanassam."4
"What now, O monks, is grief? If there is, O monks, any kind of mental
pain, any kind of mental unpleasantness or any kind of painful or unpleasant
feeling as a result of mental contact-this, O monks, is called grief."
This again makes it clear that when the Buddha describes dukkha vedana, he is
talking about bodily sensations.
The Buddha says in the Satipatthana Sutta: Atapi sampajano satima.
Atapi and satima are simple to understand but I had to search for the meaning
of sampajano. I found that it was clearly defined: SampajannaSampajanna is continuous
clear comprehension and thorough understanding of the impermanent nature of
the physical and mental structure (particularly vedana). Vedana is felt on the
body but it is part of the mind and its observation means the observation of
the mind and matter phenomenon.
Kathanca, bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajano hoti? Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno vidita
vedana uppajjanti, vidita upatthahanti, vidita abbhattham gacchanti. Vidita
vitakka uppajjanti, vidita upatthahanti, vidita abbhattham gacchanti. Vidita
sanna uppajjanti, vidita upatthahanti, vidita abbhattham gacchanti. Evam kho,
bhikkhave, bhikkhu sampajano hoti. Sato, bhikkhave, bhikkhu vihareyya sampajano.
Ayam vo amhakam anusasani'ti.5
And how, O monks, does a monk understand thoroughly? Here, monks, a monk knows
sensations arising in him, knows their persisting, and knows their passing away;
he knows each initial application of the mind on an object arising in him, knows
its persisting and knows its passing away; he knows perceptions arising in him,
knows their persisting, and knows their passing away. This, meditators, is how
a meditator understands thoroughly. A monk should abide mindful and composed.
This is our instruction to you.
The words of the Buddha also clarify that vedana indicates sensations on the
body:
Yathapi vata akase, vayanti vividha puthu;
puratthima pacchima capi, uttara atha dakkhina.
Saraja araja capi, sita unha ca ekada;
adhimatta paritta ca, puthu vayanti maluta.
Tathevimasmim kayasmim, samuppajjanti vedana;
sukhadukkhasamuppatti, adukkhamasukha ca ya.
Yato ca bhikkhu atapi, sampajannam na rincati;
tato so vedana sabba, parijanati pandito.
So vedana parinnaya, ditthe dhamme anasavo;
kayassa bheda dhammattho, sankhyam nopeti vedagu'ti.6
Through the sky blow many different winds, from east and west, from north and
south, dust-laden and dustless, cold as well as hot, fierce gales and gentle
breezes-many winds blow. In the same way, in this body, sensations arise, pleasant,
unpleasant, and neutral. When a bhikkhu, practising ardently, does not neglect
his faculty of thorough understanding, then such a wise person fully comprehends
all sensations. And having fully comprehended them, within this very life he
becomes freed from all impurities. At his life's end, such a person, being established
in Dhamma and understanding sensations perfectly, attains the indescribable
stage.
Similarly emphasising the fact that vedana manifests in the body, he said-
Seyyathapi, bhikkhave, agantukagaram, tattha puratthimayapi disaya... pacchimayapi
disaya... uttarayapi disaya... dakkhinayapi disaya agantva vasam kappenti. Khattiyapi...
brahmanapi... vessapi... suddapi agantva vasam kappenti. Evameva kho, bhikkhave,
imasmim kayasmim vividha vedana uppajjanti. Sukhapi... dukkhapi... adukkhamasukhapi
vedana uppajjati. Samisapi sukha... samisapi dukkha... samisapi adukkhamasukha
vedana uppajjati. Niramisapi sukha... niramisapi dukkha... niramisapi adukkhamasukha
vedana uppajjati'ti.7
Suppose, meditators, there is a public guest-house. People from the east, west,
north, and south come and dwell there. People who are Kshatriyas, Brahmins,
Vaishya and Shudras come and dwell there. In the same way, meditators, various
sensations arise in this body, pleasant sensations, unpleasant sensations and
neutral sensations arise. Pleasant sensations with attachment, unpleasant sensations
with attachment, and neutral sensations with attachment arise. Likewise arise
pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral sensations without attachment.
I needed no further proof that the Buddha was referring to the physical, bodily
sensations when he described vedana! Not only did these exhortations of the
Buddha clear all my doubts, they also made me feel as if the Buddha himself
was instructing me to give importance to the bodily sensations.
My revered teacher used to chant Tikapatthanatikapatthana regularly. I found
it very inspiring. The study of Tikapatthana reveals the clear and explicit
guidance from the Buddha that bodily sensations (kayikam sukham and kayikam
dukkham) are the nearest strongly dependent relations to the attainment of nibbana.
Pakatupanissayo-kayikam sukham kayikassa sukhassa, kayikassa dukkhassa, phalasamapattiya
upanissayapaccayena paccayo. Kayikam dukkham kayikassa sukhassa, kayikassa dukkhassa,
phalasamapattiya upanissayapaccayena paccayo.8
Pleasant bodily sensation is the cause for the arising of pleasant sensation
of the body, unpleasant sensation of the body, and attainment of fruition (nibbana)
in relation to the strong dependent condition. Unpleasant bodily sensation is
the cause for the arising of pleasant sensation of the body, unpleasant sensation
of the body, and attainment of fruition (nibbana) in relation to the strong
dependent condition.
And,
Pakatupanissayo-kayikam sukham upanissaya... vipassanam uppadeti, maggam uppadeti,
abhinnam uppadeti, samapattim uppadeti.9
Dependent on pleasant bodily sensations... Vipassana arises... Path arises...
Knowledge arises... attainment of (nibbana) arises.
Some of my friends insisted that vedana is a part of nama and hence it has no
relation to the bodily sensations. Differences of opinion may exist. But for
me the entire Tipitaka bears testimony to the fact that the bodily sensations
are as much a part of vedana as mental feelings; rather, bodily sensations are
much more important in the Buddha's teaching. The Patthana gave an added incontrovertible
proof that bodily sensations are of utmost importance on the path of liberation.
I have immensely benefited from this and I continue to teach
Vipassana as I learnt it from my revered teacher, giving importance to bodily
sensations.
Somanassa and domanassaare used for pleasant mental feelings and unpleasant
mental feelings respectively. Sukhasukha and dukkhadukkha are used in the broader
sense of happiness and misery but he also used them in the specific sense of
bodily pleasant and unpleasant feelings.
Tisso ima, bhikkhave, vedana. Katama tisso? Sukha vedana, dukkha vedana, adukkhamasukha
vedana. Ima kho, bhikkhave, tisso vedana.10
There are these three types of bodily sensations. What are the three? Pleasant
sensations, unpleasant sensations and sensations that are neutral (neither pleasant
nor unpleasant).
The Buddha always enumerated three types of vedana in the manner mentioned above.
He included somanassindriyam and domanassindriyam only when he enumerated five
types of vedana. This indicates the primacy of bodily sensations over mental
feelings in the Buddha's teaching.
Katama ca, bhikkhave, tisso vedana? Sukha vedana, dukkha vedana, adukkhamasukha
vedana-ima vuccanti, bhikkhave, tisso vedana. Katama ca, bhikkhave, panca vedana?
Sukhindriyam, dukkhindriyam, somanassindriyam, domanassindriyam, upekkhindriyam-ima
vuccanti, bhikkhave, panca vedana.11
The Buddha has qualified vedana by sukha vedana and dukkha vedana when he talks
about the satipatthanas but never somanassa vedana or domanassa vedana in the
context of sampajanna or satipatthanas. In the entire Tipitaka there are only
about a dozen places where vedana occurs together with somanassa but there are
hundreds of places where sukha or dukkha vedana is used, particularly in the
context of meditation of satipatthana. Thus, it is clear that vedana as a part
of the nama that is firmly rooted in kaya is what the Buddha wanted us to focus
on when he talked about meditation to eradicate suffering.
This is also the reason why brahmas from arupabrahmalokaarupabrahmaloka cannot
practise Vipassana and why the Buddha could not give Dhamma to his past teachers
of arupa jhanas (seventh and eighth jhanas/dhyanas). In the fifth to eighth
jhanas,jhanas the mind is set free from the body and thus there is no experience
of vedana. Therefore, these brahmas lack rupa and cannot experience body-sensations.
Hence, the practice of the awareness of vedana is not possible for them and
they cannot walk on the path of liberation.
It is noteworthy that in practising samadhi, somanassa and domanassa disappear
in the third jhana but sukha and dukkha vedana disappear only in the fourth
jhana. Adukkhamasukha vedanaadukkhamasukha vedana remains even in the fourth
jhana. From this, one may reasonably conclude that bodily sensations give us
a stronger and more continuous hold on reality, and thus, on the root cause
of tanha. One can clearly comprehend sensations and they offer a tangible tool
to attain one's own salvation.
I learnt this from my own experience using the technique taught by my teacher.
With this background, the words of the Buddha were so convincing and heartening.
This path has given so much joy to me. On my teacher's injunction, I started
sharing this technique with others, in India and around the world. When I share
this technique of liberation with my students, I find that they also benefit
by working with sensations and understanding their true nature. The clear, practical
and result-oriented teaching of the Buddha inspires so much trust and confidence
in me. It leaves no scope for any imagination or blind faith.
Every now and then, someone comes and argues with me as to why I give so much
importance to bodily sensations. Very humbly I request him or her to come and
give a trial to Vipassana meditation, to experience and examine whether it is
in accordance with the Buddha's teaching.
Let there be no doubt about the technique. I invite you: Let us all walk on
the path shown to us by the Buddha, the greatest scientist of mind and matter,
the greatest physician of mind the world has ever produced. Let our philosophical
beliefs not become an obstacle for us. Let us make use of the Buddha's discovery
that vedana is the tool that will liberate us from our misery.
May all be happy, peaceful and liberated.
Notes: (All references VRI edition)
1. Samyutta Nikaya 2.4.249
2. Samyutta Nikaya 2.4.251
3. Digha Nikaya 2.393
4. Digha Nikaya 2.394
5. Samyutta Nikaya 3.5.401
6. Samyutta Nikaya 2.4.260
7. Samyutta Nikaya 2.4.262
8. Patthana 1.1.423
9. Patthana 1.1.423
10. Samyutta Nikaya 2.4.250
11. Samyutta Nikaya 2.4.270