Bhikkhu Bodhi (MN 39): Enlightenment Now

The road to tranquillity and enlightenment has many things one can do right now.

Bhikkhu Bodhi is teaching a series of classes on The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha in New York. Wisdom Quarterly sent a reporter. He talks about succeeding in meditation, shame, fear, mindfulness, and clear comprehension. This means no more monkey mind. Here is the sutra with explanatory embellishments from our meditating editor.

The location is ideal, BAUS Library overlooks a lake full fish and turtles and compassionate Kwan Yin looks down from the pier. The crowd began in silent meditation. Then Bhikkhu Bodhi, just back from San Francisco where he was visiting Google Headquarters, took to the eraser board. The topic is "The Greater Discourse [given in the town of] Assapura" (MN 39).

How to handle the dreaded "monkey mind"? See below.

ASSAPURA CITY, ancient India - "Thus have I heard." The Buddha is dwelling among the Angans and says, " 'Recluses, recluses,' recluses, that's what people think of you, that's how they see you. And when they ask, 'What are you?' you claim to be recluses. But what is it that makes one a recluse [a successful meditator, a diligent practitioner of this Dharma], a [true and noble] brahmin [which is based on one's actions not one's birth]?

1. Conduct and livelihood make one a diligent practitioner and a successful meditator. One is possessed of "shame and fear" [at the prospect] of wrongdoing (hiri and ottappa).

Bhikkhu Bodhi went at length to emphasize the inadequacy of the translation "shame." Shame is completely misleading for hiri. But it's the best we've got in English. The problem is that "shame" refers to feelings that overcome one after having done something. In Pali, hiri means such feelings at the prospect of doing something that prevents one from doing it. [Wisdom Quarterly might offer "conscience" as a substitute or "scruples," or even "reservations," but these are also imperfect.]

Chaung Yen supports great Theravadan scholars in a fantastic Mahayana setting

Bhikkhu Bodhi went on to explain that hiri and ottappa are rooted internally and externally, respectively. Self respect, wishing to see oneself in the best light, one avoids degrading oneself. One refrains from actions, words, and thoughts that one would later regret or feel bad about. The indignity of, or disgust with, wrongdoing holds one back.

Respect for others is the motivation for ottappa, fear of the consequences of wrongdoing -- like being found out, gossiped about, publicly humiliated, disrespected, the ignominy, what others would think -- and, of course, the terrible karmic consequences.

The Buddha called these two mental or moral factors the "Guardians of the World" (AN i.51). It is on account of these two that people abstain from spinning out of control under the influence of greed, hatred, and delusion, which are in our nature. And we give rise to non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion (categories encompassing all the good things like unselfishness, compassion, and mindfulness or wisdom), which are also in the nature of human beings.

The monkey mind actually loves peace

The Buddha then repeats a familiar refrain: "We have this [shame-and-fear at the prospect of wrongdoing] and that much is enough; the goal of recluseship has been reached, there is nothing more to do." But, he adds, "Meditators, I inform you, I declare to you, you who seek success, do not fall short of the goal when there is more to be done."

What more? Train yourselves in this way: [Then there followed an expose on the various trainings in virtue, the key to successful concentration and absorption which purifies the mind and makes liberating insight possible.]

• purified bodily conduct...
• purified verbal conduct...
• purified mental conduct...
• purified livelihood, which is flawless and restrained, clear and open, not lauding oneself or disparaging others.

2. What more? Restrain of the senses. Guard the five sense doors. Do not be taken in by the general features or details of delightful sights (such as, Bhikkhu Bodhi mentioned, the female form, a particular problem for ascetic men), sounds, smells, savors, or sensations. We added the alliteration; Bhikkhu Bodhi just read the text.

Why? If left unguarded, unwholesome, unprofitable, detrimental, and possibly disastrous states of mind might overtake one. Which kind? States of covetousness (painful yearnings and pining away whittling away at time that could be spent profitably developing oneself) and domanasa. Here "grief" is not the translation Bhikkhu Bodhi now favors but rather sadness, dejection, displeasure, aversion, and the like.

The Enlightened One reclining in the lion's posture

3. What more? Wakefulness. Divide the night into three parts or "watches." In the first watch, meditate by walking or sitting. That is, purify the mind of obstructive states. In the second watch, lay down on the right side with a pillow tucked under the upper ribs, one foot resting upon the other, right cheek in right palm, mindful and aware, noting when it is time to get up.

In the third watch, continue meditating. (This gets easier and easier to do the more one meditates since proper meditation is very restful and the need for sleep eventually decreases. But it may seem impossible at first in our sleep-deprived culture).

What is a watch? They didn't have clocks back then so it is not possible to correlate the "watches of the night" with exact times. Nevertheless, Bhikkhu Bodhi gave his considered opinion:

1. 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
2. 10:00 pm - 3:00 am (five hours of sleep)
3. 3:00 am - 6:00 am

4. What more? Moderation in eating. It is good to eat, good to enjoy, but gluttony and starvation are impediments to the path. The world is mostly populated by greed-types, so starvation (a hate-type issue) is not usually a problem. Gluttony, a kind of kamesu micchacara, "misconduct of the senses" (usually rendered "sexual misconduct" because that is the poster child or figurehead kind of sensual misconduct), is the problem.

The Buddha at Bodh Gaya, the temple of the great enlightenment and bodhi tree

Restrain the tongue. The tongue is already the biggest problem in virtue. Whereas there are only three physical misdeeds, and three mental misdeeds, the tongue has four. (See the "Ten Courses of Unwholesome Karma," AN X.206, a topic frequently covered in the pages of Wisdom Quarterly). Now add a fifth misdeed: the tongue likes to overeat and overindulge, and we're a fatter nation for it with a lot of trouble meditating successfully.

Instead, reflect wisely on the reason for eating. It is to help one along the path. It is to sustain one in meditation. It is not to detract one from the goal. But when one is on a meditation retreat or living as a monastic, eating is the only vice left, Bhikkhu Bodhi pointed out.

Nevertheless, to overeat is to become lazy and sluggish (sloth and torpor, or physical and mental lassitude). This dullness and drowsiness only gives rise to more sensual craving, which is the biggest problem for meditators and monastics striving for serenity and enlightenment.

5. What more? Mindfulness (sati) and clear comprehension. In other words, one is wise to have simple or pure awareness of what one is doing at all times in meditation. But that should not be abandoned when one gets up from sitting or takes up daily tasks.

Tasks should be undertaken with sampajañña, "clear comprehension." Sam, Bhikkhu Bodhi explained, means "fullness," pa denotes "activity" or a sense of action and moving about, jañña "knowing, distinguishing, discerning, comprehending."

We define this common and over-used/under-understood term mindfulness as "presence of mind." To be clear, wakeful, unmuddled, but NOT thinking. It is consciousness not degraded and detracted by discursive thinking. In fact, it is the opposite of a wandering mind flitting from one useless thought to another like a monkey brachiating from branch to branch in a tree. The "monkey mind," so dreaded in meditation, is exactly a lack of mindfulness (sati). One is restless and worried, remorseful and fearful of what may come of past regrets; or one is overcome by the search for better and better bananas, or angry and frustrated and not getting them, in short, overcome by the Five Hindrances. Even when one gets up, one continues to "meditate" in the sense of sampajañña. In this way, one can be "mindful" and cultivating the entire day until the middle watch of the night. And even then, some Tibetans will tell you, you can dream meditate. Give the mind a break. Nineteen hours of self-development a day is plenty. It has other behind the scenes maintenance to do, which it is best left to do unimpeded. In any case, to be mindful is to not let the mind drift into carelessness; to be clearly comprehending is to not let this happen going about ones activities.

6. What more? Abandoning the Five Hindrances. Go to a quiet place and meditate. Sit comfortably. When sitting becomes too much, pace back and forth slowly and calmly. All the while one is skillfully overcoming what can upset. What can upset? The Five Hindrances are the root of all meditation problems. They are ultimately overcome by their opposites, the Five Jhana Factors (jhana-anga). Jhana is more than concentration, it is absorption, being fully absorbed in what one is doing. It is the very definition of Zen and meditation, Ch'an and serenity. It leads to insight when one applies the jhana-purified mind to mindful contemplation of the Dharma:

1. applied attention (to the meditation object)
2. sustained attention (not thinking, just knowing it with undivided attention)
3. joy (or blissful rapture)
4. happiness
5. one-pointedness

7. What more? The Four Jhanas (Absorptions). The result of successful meditation (or rightly undertaken monasticism) is jhana. There are eight absorptions to master. The first four comprise the Buddha's definition of "Right Concentration" (samma samadhi) in the Noble Eightfold Path.

"Having abandoned these Five Hindrances, imperfections of the mind that weaken wisdom, quite secluded [physically separated] from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states [mentally withdrawn], one enters upon and abides in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied attention [effortfully bringing the mind back to the object again and again] and sustained attention [effortlessly allowing it to be when it is on the object], with joy [piti, rapture] and happiness [sukha, pleasure] born of seclusion," the Buddha explains.

Take that bliss and have it drench and pervade every cell of the body like soaked soap powder that has become a rich lather. Continue refining the bliss until it reaches its zenith at the fourth jhana, which moves beyond both pain and pleasure for the most refined "pleasure" of all, equanimity (impartiality or equipoise, peace and tranquility, which is very lucid and bright, effortlessly attentive and penetrating).

8. What more? The Three True Knowledges, which can collectively be called liberating "insight" (vipassana). That is the goal. Serenity is just a major step, often neglected and shunned, along the path.

1. recollection of past lives
2. the reappearance of being according to their karma
3. the destruction of the taints (asavas) by fully perceiving and penetrating for the first time the Four Noble Truths. And you thought they were the first thing you learned about Buddhism! In fact, they are the culmination that leads to:

9. What more? Full enlightenment (arahantship or Buddhist sainthood). A practitioner such as this is called a successful meditator, a recluse, a noble individual (true brahmin), one who has been cleansed (purified), one who has attained to knowledge and vision. One has made a complete end of this entire mass of suffering.

And if one aspires to become a supremely enlightened buddha by taking the bodhisattva path, one can develop bodhicitta and cultivate the Ten Perfections. One does so after achieving some distinction in meditation not instead of doing so.

The class retired early so Bhikkhu Bodhi could have lunch and much needed sleep. The class next week continues on this theme in the Shorter [or abbreviated] Discourse at Assapura. Questions were answered. And the whole thing was recorded by BAUS.org. Special thanks to the venerable nun, Rev. Sudharma.