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14. Āna Pāna Sati Samādhi | Authentic Dhamma

My only regret is that I don’t know Sinhala so I could get more intellectual access to whatever this Bhante has to offer on his main channel. This more or less summarizes the points made here on PureDhamma regarding anapanasati meditation. 

Put simply, anapanasati is the systematic reduction of raga, dosa, and moha. This can be put into two subsections.

Samatho

The reduction of the defilements raga (unwholesome desire) and dosa (ill will) is known as samatho. In the presence of raga and dosa, samatho is to be employed, as the Bhante so puts it, in a trice.

Dosakkhaya

In dissociation from the corruptions of aversion…

1. Loving kindness (metta) against general aversion (vyapado). 
2. Compassion via removal of obstacles to Nibbana (karuna) against the placement of obstacles to Nibbana (vihesa). 
3. Appreciative joy (mudita) against jealousy (arati). 
4. Equanimity (upekkha) against self pity (patigho). 

Ragakkhaya

In dissociation from raga, the abandonment of desire (asubha) is to be employed. (In many cases, I would say that personally noting ‘this will bring me further away from Nibbana and the reduction of ignorance, I abandon it’ suffices…)  Some techniques are mentioned in a future video:

      1. Analysis of the human body as 32 constituent parts: head hair, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, bones, bone marrow, kidneys, heart, liver, pleura, spleen, lungs, large intestines, throat, feces, bile, phlegm, pus, blood, sweat, fat, tears, skin oil, saliva, mucus, joint fluid, urine…

      2. Analysis of matter as four composite elements: solidity, heat, fluidity, motion

      3. Analysis of corpses in the nine stages of decomposition 

Regrettably, this is primarily given as examples of sexual desire rather than to also be given as examples of other desires one could struggle with, although analysis of component parts can be extrapolated to other objects. I could perhaps add something extra to the technique list: asking the question “if this action or object is based in raga, and engaging in it will only increase raga, when has the increase in raga ever made me happier?”

Vipassana (Mohakkhaya)

Both dosa and raga operate under a causative undercurrent of moha, or ignorance, which prevent us from seeing reality as it is. It is here in the cognitive realm that moha serves as the cause of dosa and raga in the emotional sphere. 

Vipassana is thus the countering and rejection of three false perceptions through association with the Tilakkhana, or the three marks of existence. 

The first false perception, nicca, has one believe that one’s innate mental desire is sustainable, if not now, then definitely later. This is to rejected. Instead, anicca is to be associated with, or the perception that innate mental desire is unsustainable. 

The second false perception, sukkha, has us believe that there are pleasures to be attained in this world. This is to be rejected. Instead, dukkha is to be associated with, or the perception that things that we once thought to contain pleasures actually contain a great deal of hidden suffering and the seeds of continued existence. 

(Note: this might break a bit with what is normally is proposed as atta and anatta on this website.) The third false perception, atta, proposes that we can sustainably identify with the five clinging aggregates as the egocentric “I,” “mine,” and “my desire.” This is to be rejected. Instead, anatta is to be associated with, or the perception that such a notion is unsustainable. 

Thus, if one maintains right view along with the practice of samatho and vipassana “in a trice”, one can systematically reduce the three defilements and make progress to Nibbana. 

 

Anybody have any other techniques recommended for the practice of anapanasati that they’d like to share? 

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Jittananto

[Jittananto]

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