How deep is meditative "absorption"? (sutra)

Sister Vajira, Francis Story (trans.), "Last Days of the Buddha" (DN 16. 33-51); Path to Peace; Ven. Nyanatiloka; Amber Larson, Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Talking to the Buddha

Golden Buddha (adrianjevans/flickr.com)

33. Now it so happened that Puck of the Malla clan, a disciple of Alāra Kālama,* was passing by on his way from Kusinārā to Pāvā.

• *Alara Kalama was one of the ascetic Siddhartha's teachers before his enlightenment at which time he became the Buddha, the "Awakened One." He taught the Bodhisattva (Buddha-to-be) how to attain the seventh meditative absorption known as the "sphere of nothingness" but could not show him the path to nirvana and final (permanent) liberation.

34. When he saw the Blessed One seated at the foot of a tree, he approached, greeted him, sat respectfully to one side, and said:
 
"Marvelous it is, venerable sir! Most wonderful it is, O venerable sir, the state of serenity in which abide those who have gone forth from the world [become ascetic renouncing the life of an ordinary layperson].

35. "For at one time, venerable sir, Alara Kalama was on a journey, and he turned aside from the highway and sat down by the wayside at the foot of a tree to pass the heat of the day.
 
"It came about, venerable sir, that a great number of carts, 500, passed by him one by one. Then, venerable sir, a man following behind the carts approached him and said: 'Sir, did you see a great number of carts that passed?' Alara Kalama answered: 'I did not see them, brother.'

"'But the noise, sir, surely you heard it?' 'I did not hear it, brother.' The man continued: 'Then, sir, perhaps you slept?' 'No, brother, I was not sleeping.' 'Sir, were you conscious?' 'I was, brother.'

"'Then, sir, while conscious and awake you still did not see the great number of carts, 500, that passed you by one after another, nor heard the noise? Sir, your robe is covered with their dust!' Alara Kalama replied, saying: 'So it is, brother.'

 

36. "To that man, O venerable sir, came the thought: 'Marvelous it is! Most wonderful, indeed, is the state of serenity in which abide those who have gone forth from the world!' There arose in him great confidence in Alara Kalama, and he went his way."

Meditation

To learn the doctrine, the Dharma, means three stages:

1. theory
2. practice
3. realization.

The Buddhist word we translate as "meditation" is bhavana, "mental development." It literally means "bringing into being, "calling into existence," "producing," "cultivating," "developing." There are two kinds: 

• the development of tranquillity or serenity by concentration,
• the development of wisdom or insight by mindfulness.

These two important terms, serenity and insight (samatha-vipassanā), are often met with and explained in the sutras as well as the "Higher Teachings."

Serenity is the concentrated, unshaken, peaceful, and therefore undefiled temporary state of mind, whereas insight (vipassanā) is the intuitive penetration of the truth, directly knowing-and-seeing the

1. impermanent
2. disappointing
3. impersonal (tilakkhana)

characteristics of all bodily and mental phenomena of existence. This includes in the Five Groups of Existence:

1. form (corporeality)
2. feeling (sensation)
3. perception
4. mental formations
5. consciousness.

Serenity, which is the result of concentration (coherence, collectedness, bringing together) of mind, according to Sankhepavannana (Commentary to Abhidhammattha-sangaha), bestows a threefold blessing:

1. favorable rebirth
2. happy present life
3. purity of mind which is the supporting condition of insight.

Concentration is the indispensable foundation and precondition of insight. This is because it purifies the mind of the Five Hindrances or mental defilements, whereas insight produces the four supra mundane stages of enlightenment (each a path and fruition moment making it eight stages) and deliverance of mind.
 

The Buddha therefore says: "Develop mental concentration, O meditators, for one who is mentally concentrated sees things according to reality" (S.XXII.5).
 

And in the Questions of the Greek King Milinda it is said: "Just as when a lit lamp is brought into a dark place, the lamp-light will destroy the darkness and produce and spread the light, just so will insight, once arisen, destroy the darkness of ignorance and produce the light of knowledge."

 
The Path of Purification (Vis.M. III-XI) gives full directions on how to attain full concentration and the meditative absorptions... More

  

Deep meditation

"Thunder bolts and lightning are very, very frightening" explains Freddie Mercury (Z).

Sitting in comfortable pose, seeing nimitta (vivid image) at point of concentration.

 
37. "Now what do you think, Puck? What is more difficult to do, more difficult to meet with -- a person, who while conscious and awake, should not see a great number of carts, even 500, that passes one after another nor hear their noise, or that one conscious and awake, in the midst of a heavy rain, with thunder rolling and crashing and lightning flashing, should neither see it nor hear the noise?"

 

38. "O, venerable sir, what are 500 carts -- even 600, 700, 800, 900 or 1,000 or even hundreds of thousands of carts -- compared to this?"
 

39. "Now one time, Puck, I was staying at Atuma and stayed in a barn there. At that time there was a heavy rain, with thunder rolling, lightning flashing, and thunderbolts crashing. Two farmers who were brothers were killed close to the barn, together with four oxen, and a great crowd came forth from Atuma to the spot where they had been killed.
 

40. "Now at that time, Puck, I had come out of the barn and was walking up and down [walking meditation for exercise] in thought before the door. And a certain man from the great crowd approached me, greeted me, and respectfully stood at one side.

 

41. "I asked him: 'Why, brother, has this great crowd gathered?' He answered me: 'Just now, venerable sir, there was a heavy rain, with thunder rolling, lightning flashing, and thunderbolts crashing. Two farmers who were brothers were killed close by, together with four oxen. It is because of this that the great crowd has gathered. Where, venerable sir, were you?'
 

"'I was here, brother.' 'Yet, venerable sir, did you not see it?' 'I did not see it, brother.' 'But the noise, venerable sir, you surely heard?' 'I did not hear it, brother.' Then he asked me: 'Then, venerable sir, perhaps you slept?'

"'No, brother, I was not sleeping.' 'Then, venerable sir, you were conscious?' 'I was, brother.' That man continued: 'Then, venerable sir, while conscious and awake, in the midst of a heavy rain, with thunder rolling, lightning flashing, and thunderbolts crashing, you neither saw it nor heard the noise?' And I answered him: 'I did not, brother.'
 

42. "To that man, Puck, came the thought: 'Marvellous it is! Most wonderful, indeed, it is the state of serenity within which abide those who have gone forth from the world!' And there arose in him great confidence in me, and he saluted me, and respectfully keeping his right side towards me, he went his way."

Puck's confidence

43. When this was said, Puck of the Malla clan said to the Blessed One: "The confidence, venerable sir, that I had in Alara Kalama I now scatter to the mighty wind. I let it be carried away as by a flowing stream! Excellent, O venerable sir! Most excellent, O venerable sir!

"Venerable sir, it is as if one were to set upright what had been overthrown, or to reveal what had been hidden, or to show the path to one who had gone astray, or to light a lamp in the darkness so that those having eyes might see -- even so has the Blessed One set forth the Dharma in many ways.

"And so, O venerable sir, I go for guidance to the Blessed One, to the Dharma, and to the Sangha. May the Blessed One accept me as a disciple, one who has gone for guidance until the end of life."

44. Then Puck of the Malla clan spoke to a certain man, saying: "Friend, bring me at once two sets of golden-hued robes, burnished and ready for wear." The man answered, "So be it, sir."
 

45. When the robes were brought, Puck of the Malla clan offered them to the Blessed One, saying: "May the Blessed One, O venerable sir, out of compassion, accept this from me." And the Blessed One said, "Robe me, then in one, Puck, and in the other robe Ananda."
 

"So be it, venerable sir." He thereupon robed the Blessed One in one and in the other robed Ven. Ananda.
 

46. Then the Blessed One instructed Puck of the Malla clan in the Dharma: He roused, edified, and gladdened him. And after that, Puck rose from his seat, respectfully saluted the Blessed One, and keeping his right side towards him, went his way.
 

47. Soon after Puck of the Malla clan had departed, Ven. Ananda arranged the set of golden-hued robes, burnished and ready for wear, about the body of the Blessed One. But when the set of robes was arranged upon the body of the Blessed One, it became as though faded, and its splendor dimmed.
 

48. Ven. Ananda said to the Blessed One: "Marvelous it is, O venerable sir! Most wonderful, indeed, it is how clear and radiant the skin of the Wayfarer appears! This set of golden-hued robes, burnished and ready for wear, venerable sir, now that it is arranged upon the body of the Blessed One seems to have become faded, its splendor dimmed."
 

49. "It is so, Ananda. There are two occasions, Ananda, when the skin of the Wayfarer appears exceedingly clear and radiant. What are the two?
 

The Buddha walks on (dreamstime.com)

Ananda, they are the night when the Wayfarer becomes fully enlightened in unsurpassed, supreme enlightenment and the night when the Wayfarer comes to his final passing away into the state of nirvana with no element of clinging remaining.
 
These, Ananda, are the two occasions on which the skin of the Wayfarer appears exceedingly clear and radiant.
 

50. "And now today, in the last watch of this very night, Ananda, in the Mallas' Sal Grove, in the vicinity of Kusinara, between two sal trees, the Wayfarer will come to his final nirvana. So now, Ananda, let us go to the Kakuttha River."
 

51. Clad in Puck's gift, the golden robes, the Teacher's form was radiant to behold. More