Samatha

Published twice yearly

by The Samatha Trust
Issue number 4 Winter 1997

Contents Contributors
Alex Barr
Chris Gilchrist
Jackie Callow
Peter Harvey
time and again 1 Michael Jackson
Valerie Roebuck
Sarah Shaw
shopping in the spiritual supermarket 2 Sue Steele
Sue Tetlow
a talk on posture 4 Chris Westrup
Bill Wexler
on earth and material form 6 Sarah Yorke
Groups in
Rossendale
searching for the heart of the story 8 & Manchester

aspects of astrology 14 nlustrations

and technical
five scenes from a journey 19 assistance
Rob Adkins
Roger Barnes
the way of the worrier 21 Tricia Brown
Les Callow
sam vicara 27 Joanna Dowey
Alex Kelly
should we? 30 Peter Jones
Shamshad Khan
Amanda Lindop
Joan Ormrod
Sarah Shaw

Editor
Jackie Callow

Contributions
for IssueS
see last page

Samatha4
Sam.atha4
 time and again
If we had met p a previous life

1t ~gg~,iti~~~~~wrlke<
. ,.£:r.:~~~~F~T.r~:~a!~~:~ ,·. ,· ·
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . which ~E;~~-rl~~e~•~mly to ):·····
stop evezything happer:Iing at once!)

It•is..~~ slow d'wning o;aknownJ:;/

A:t:rince tt:J.own fulfilxrlent but
yet$~11 tcl plpp~a§:l(Wi.lt.

1 Samatha4
 shopping in the spiritual supermarket
Recently I was at a Buddhist meeting where one of the contributors to a
discussion complained about people's attitude to spiritual traditions. He said
people had the attitude of the supermarket shopper, expecting to be able to
help themselves off the shelf and to 'mix and match' bits of different traditions
to suit themselves.
You've probably heard this metaphor used before. So had I, but this time I
thought about it. Like many metaphors and analogies, it has truth within it
but also has the potential to mislead. What follows is an unpacking of the
metaphor - an unpacking which is only one way of seeing it, which just
shows how much can be condensed into a simple, graphic phrase.
My first thought was that the contributor's complaint was that people. as it
were, start from zero. They just walk in and expect enlightenment tomorrow.
Actually the supermarket analogy doesn't say this. After all, you don't go into
a supermarket unless you can pay for what you buy. So you have to have
made the effort to acquire the money before you can go shopping. In the same
way, you can't go in search of wisdom or spiritual teaching unless you've put
some work in to begin with.
That work may not be meditation or the pursuit of intense devotional prac-
tices. It's far more likely that that initial work will simply be asking yourself
serious questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Really asking such questions,
I mean asking them fully with all one's being, is actually a very intense form of
spiritual work. Most of us who have been following a tradition for years have
almost forgotten how to do this and it would be better for us if we did more of
it and indulged in less wiseacring about the many complicated theories which
we think our tradition can explain.
If you go to the supermarket regularly, you know what's on the shelves and
where. But can you remember when you went to a big supermarket for the
first time? This occurred to me because we have had Russian visitors who
have very little experience of supermarkets or the availability of a huge range
of packaged foods. Going to the supermarket with them is a long and exhaust-
ing process, because they want to know what things are and what you do with
them: ready meals, the vast range of cook-in sauces, pulses (which Russians
don't eat.) and so on and so forth. So when we think of the supermarket/
spiritual analogy, we think in terms of knowing what we want and taking it
from the shelf. But in fact, the first-time shopper has to pick things up, exam-
ine them rather closely and ask other people to explain what they are: then
taste them and try to find out if they like them. In other words, there's a
process of investigation and questioning; a kind of questioning which doesn't
necessarily appeal to those of us who've been following a tradition for years. It
may seem rather obvious that people ought to be able to tell the difference
between our own and other traditions. but are we forgetting how we found our
own way here (wherever that is?)
Most supermarket shoppers have been through this process of investigation
and found what they want. They've developed "brand loyalty' and no longer

Samatha4 2
think about which of the dozens of packets of cereal they'll buy. But these
purchases aren't unthinking: they're informed by years of experience. Again,
the superficial negative implication - the shopper idly picking up this and
that- is not how it is. Most shoppers only buy a few 'new' items on each visit,
just as most couples make only minor variations to their acts of sexual con-
gress. Those new items, the variations, are there to prevent boredom, to stop
one falling asleep . . .
It's possible, too, that you won't find what you want at the supermarket. It
may seem that everything is on its shelves. But of course this isn't so. If you
want really good organically grown vegetables or meat. you'll need to find a
friendly little shop that specialises in these. A good delicatessen will sell better
salamis and better-kept and more interesting cheeses than the supermarket.
A kitchen shop will sell better designed knives and kitchen tools. So even after
examining the range of goods on the supermarket shelves, you may still be
searching for what you want.
In this case, you have to make another effort. You have to find the right
specialist shop. This may not be so easy. Unlike the giant neon-lit supermar-
ket sheds, they're not so easy to find. You may need to ask people for sugges-
tions and visit several shops before you find what you want. The process of
doing so will also refine your understanding of what it is that you do want.
Having thought about the analogy, I begin to get a sense of why I reacted
negatively to it when I first heard it used. Like many people, I have a love/hate
relationship with supermarkets. The wide range of goods is great but the whole
process of doing the shopping can be a pain in the neck because the range of
goods is so great . . . If there was less choice, it would be easier to do the
shopping! Why do they have to have a whole aisle full of those ghastly snack
foods (insert your own particular hate here) that nobody with any sense or
taste could conceivably want? Why are there so many seemingly trivial, indul-
gent, sentimental (etc etc) quasi-religious movements nowadays?
Everything that's there on the shelves is there for someone or, truly, for the
many people who want it. We define spiritual traditions from our own perspec-
tive- and perhaps our path is one of those that will only be found at a special-
ist shop. But everything that leads people closer, that hints at Who am I? and
Why am I here? serves a purpose, meets a need. They're all within the river.
From Rumi:
"We can't help being thirsty, rrwving towards the voice of water.
Milk drinkers draw near to the rrwther.
Muslims, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, shamans,
everyone hears the intelligent sound
and rrwves, with thirst, to meet it.
Clean your ears. Don't listen for something you've heard before.
Invisible camel-bells, slightfooifalls in sand.
Alrrwst in sight! The .first word they call out
will be the last word of our last poem"
(Rumi: We are Three. Tr Coleman Barks. Maypop Books.)

3 Samatha4
 a talk on posture
(overheard in a beginners' meditation class)

Choose your cushions: the optimum number

To give good support to your rear
And avoid falling into a slumber
When my detailed instructions you hear.

We don't use the lotus position

But virasana, 'pose of the hero'.
A name that impels recognition
When first you attempt it from zero,

But it keeps your back straight and unshaken

And allows your breath freedom to move,
Giving something the chance to awaken
As your mindfulness starts to improve.

Place your left leg below, to sustain you,

And your right leg on top of the left -
Though your calves to begin with may pain you
You'll soon grow surprisingly deft.

Don't jut out your jawbone like Batman,

But nor should it droop on your chest.
Yes. that's the way- do it like that man.
Let right hand on left gently rest.

So find your long breath. without straining.

(By now your suspense must be mounting.)
Any questions? Then no more explaining.
We'll begin with ..
the longest of counting.

Samatha4 4
 0 =-0-

Arr.. funny old thing watching the breath -

Mmm.. all ups and downs

a northern limerick
There once was a Buddhist from Harrogate
Who wanted to learn how to meditate
But his knees got so sore
On the cold wooden floor
That he ended up learning to levitate!

5 Samatha4
 on earth and material form
In the life-story of the Buddha, certain interesting indications are given as
to how one should relate to the material aspect of existence. Firstly Gotama,
prior to his Buddhahood, was stimulated to begin his spiritual quest by seeing
an aged person, a sick person and a dead person (and a calm renunciant.)
That is, he met with and was agitated by concrete examples of the frailty and
mortality of the human body, so as to set out to find that which is free from
ageing, sickness and death. In seeking spiritual guides, he first went to two
yoga teachers and learned to attain the 'sphere of nothingness' and then the
'sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception', two of the four 'formless'
(arnpa) states. These are deeply calm states in which the mind totally tran-
scends anything to do with the body, matter, or representation of anything
with shape or form. While he later integrated such states into his meditation
system, he felt that they did not go far enough themselves. As he was intro-
duced to them, they came across as ways of ignoring the body and its limita-
tions. As he later recommended then, they were ways to explore the deeper
recesses of the mind once the physical had been explored, and the jhanas
mastered.
Gotama next entered his ascetic phase, of extreme fasting, non-washing,
holding the breath for long periods of time. This was the method of trying to
forcefully dominate the body and desires related to it, rather than ignoring it.
In time, he realised that this method was a spiritual dead-end, leading to a joy-
less state in which the body is wasted, and the mind is too taut, though having
energy and determination.
On the point of giving up, he then remembered a state of jhana which he had
spontaneously entered in his teens, while watching his father plough the earth.
In later meditation terminology, one could see this as jhiina based on the earth-
kasina. In other words, a state in which the mind reaches joyful unification by
focusing on the quality of earthiness, and the nimitta that arises from doing
so. There are parallel meditations focusing on the quality of water, or fire, or
air. Gotama realised that such a jhiinic path was a subtle and happy one
which did not ignore the body or seek to dominate it, and led to mental clarity.
He therefor.e gave up his fasting and took nourishing food from Sujata, a young
woman who had prepared a very sustaining milk-rice dish, originally as an
offering to a god.
Gotama then began to practise, probably using mindfulness of breathing,
an aspect of mindfulness of the body. so as to attain jhana. At a certain point.
he met resistance from the five hindrances. This is portrayed as a struggle
with the tempter-god Mara and his 'army' of spiritual faults. Mara tries to shift
Gotama from his still posture. He gets his army to testify to his own prowess
and power, and asks Gotama who he has to testify to his qualities. In re-
sponse, Gotama touches the earth, to ask it to bear witness for him. The earth
then shakes in reply, and the earth goddess appears and speaks of the many
good deeds Gotama had done in past lives, while building up the perfections
which culminate in Buddhahood. Mara is then vanquished, and Gotama goes

Samatha4 6
on to attain the jhanas and then Buddhahood. Note how recollection of an
earth-related jhana, taking sustaining material food, mindfulness of the body,
and the earth goddess play a part in all of this.
The jhanas are also said to pertain to the realm of pure or elemental 'form'
(rilpa), a radiant realm of subtle form. It is seen as beyond the realm of sense-
desire, which humans usually dwell in, experiencing things in a way mediated
by desires and dislike. The realm of elemental form is attained by tuning in
to the simple form and shape, and the subtle nature of, such things as earth,
water or the breath. In working with the nimitta in mindfulness of breathing,
one is seeking to gain a pure, settled image or form related to the breath, to
take one to the form, or jhantc, level. This is done by careful mindfulness of an
aspect of the physical realm, in which one neither ignores it nor seeks to domi-
nate it, but to gain a unified, disinterested, thorough awareness of it and its
deeper, subtle qualities.
The elemental form level is also that at which the Brahma gods dwell, hav-
ing attained such a rebirth by deep meditation on such qualities as loving-
kindness and compassion. Like mindfulness, these qualities also neither ig-
nore nor seek to dominate their objects. They expand the mind, though at-
tachment to such states can lead to conceit - as seen when some Brahmas
think they created the world. This is another, wrong, way of relating to the
material world.
Mindfulness of one's body (kiiya) or material form (nlpa) is a training ground
for sharpening, strengthening and refining mindfulness, which can then be
more effective when applied to feelings, mind-states and dhammas (basic pat-
terns in experience, such as hindrances and faculties.) Its importance can
also be seen in the context of a famous Sutta passage where the Buddha says:
"It is 1n this fathom-long carcase, which has the quality of perception, and is en-
dowed with mind, that, I declare, lies: the (dukkha-related) world-of-experience, and
the artstng of the world-of-experience, and the stopping of the world-of-experience (i.e.
Nibbana), and the path leading to the stopping of the world-of-experience."

In other words, in this bony, mortal frame, with its accompanying mental
states, craving generates a lived world of experience imbued with various kinds
of dukkha: suffering, limitation, frustration, unsatisfactoriness. Also in this
mortal frame are the resources for treading the path which gradually leads to
transcending dukkha. In the mortal frame, there is a way to the Deathless.
Indeed, I seem to remember a passage somewhere where the Buddha gives a
long teaching, then asks Ananda to carry on, as his back was aching!
Some earthy, and other, reflections:
-try contemplation of earthiness outside the body, for example in old stones,
and of the wateriness of water.
-then contemplate these elements in one's 'own body'.
-following from these, consider how the elements, and therefore the body, do
not belong to oneself or anyone else.

7 Sam.atha 4
 searching for the heart of the story
The Jataka Tales and Meditation

If you go into a meditation hall in the East, your attention is caught by the
Buddhariipa, or Buddhariipas and the shrine. But as you walk through the
entrance way and into the hall, the eyes are led by sometimes unbroken friezes
of pictures or murals, like a kind of imaginative land-
scape: of monkeys. elephants, beautiful queens, nagas,
garudas,gods,ascetics,forests,palaces,warriors,golden
fans, white parasols, crowds of people and ascetics in
solitaiy glades. These are the depictions of the jatakas,
547 lives in all during which the Buddha, after making a
vow at the feet of the last Buddha, Dipaiikara, accumu-
lates the reserves and the body of experience which en-
ables him to attain Buddhahood in his last lifetime. When
attention rests on the Buddha, the forests, palaces and
wildernesses linger around the edges of the awareness, like being able to sit in
a quiet room after a busy day while people are very busy around you, or hear-
ing a hum of chatter going on next door.

What are the jatakas?

A ~ataka' is a story about a birth: and the births described in each one are
the different lives of the bodhisatta as all kinds of animal, fish, bird, tree-spirit,
water spirit, human and sometimes a god, as he builds up and purifies the ten
perfections: the necessary reserves and body of experience for Buddhahood.
When you talk to people who have had the jatakas around their childhood,
their eyes light up immediately they relate them, as if remembering a kind of
dhamma country they knew as a child! For Buddhists in Buddhist countries
they are how the teaching is first communicated: children hear jatakas first
and they will then be a background to any subsequent
understanding of theory or meditation. One Korean told
me recently that for him they represented the highest
form of the teaching.
So in this series of articles I'd like to look at a few of
these stories and try and find what they can communi-
cate about the awake mind, in story form. This is just an
attempt: I think ten different people would see them in
ten different ways. In fact there is a delightful jataka
which tells the story of how, once upon a time, there were
four brothers who all describe a Judas tree in four different ways, because one
had seen it with buds. one when the leaves were green, one with blossom and
one when the tree was bearing fruit: all are right, but only partially so . . .

Samatha4 8
Historical Background

Many of the tales seem to come from a story tradition of great antiquity,
some older than Buddhism, but have been reshaped as ~atakas' according to
the Buddha's teaching and to relate to all the different rebirths of the Bodhisatta.
Some of the stories in their present form seem later than the verses, which are
thought to comprise the oldest part of the tales; we do not really know when
they were composed, but they were apparently committed to writing in Sri
Lanka in the 1st century BC in manuscripts no longer extant. Carvings of the
stories and the word ~ataka' itself have been found on a stone fence by a 1st
century BC stupa at Bharhut. the earliest mention of it in writing! The Plili text
society version includes much later commentarial material, dating from the
fifth century, possibly written by Buddhaghosa, which elucidates the verses to
a certain extent, fills in the gaps in the stories and explains the present context
of each one. The version that has reached us, which was completed around
the fifth century AD, has become quite formalised, with eachjlitaka following a
set pattern:
I) An incident in the present which is sometimes posed as a problem to the
Buddha, and which provides his reason for relating the tale (paccupanna-vatthllJ
2) The Buddha tells a story about a comparable incident in the past. This
includes a verse or verses which form the oldest part of the Jataka and so
takes their name (aJitavatthllJ
3) Commentarial account of the Buddha's explanation of the meaning of the
story (veyyiikarWJ.aJ
4) A comment at the end in which the main characters of the story are attrib-
uted by the Buddha to the modern counterparts (samod.hiina).
Each story starts with the words aJite, "in times gone past" or "once upon a
time".

Storytelling

It is this quality of "once upon a time", that has meant the stories are told in
the twentieth century to children. They do often seem the best people to appre-
ciate them - but there is no reason to suppose they were intended just for
them. In fact they seem to be part of an ancient story
telling tradition that has elements that do not seem suit- =====··.
able for children at all! The complete mixture of fantastic :=:=:=:=:.
adventure, fabulous beings, animals, love affairs, intrigues ; , ,
and deceptions in some of the jlitakas are reminiscent of !)it:
the Arabian Thousand Nights and a Night, for instance, ;::,==:=:
and I presume they are drawn from a common source - . ,
in the historical sense as well as any other. Some jlitakas :=" ··

are found in the Arabian Nights, one in Herodotus, and ·

via Greek and Arabic, some tales worked their way into Europe by being retold
through the Crusaders. If we think of Chaucer's pilgrims, who told elaborate
stories to each other to entertain themselves, and keep the mind and heart

9 Samatha4
awake on a long and difficult journey, we perhaps have a much closer idea of
the kind of story that is intended. The story of the three rioters in The Pardoner's
Tale' is ajataka tale, that was presumably told, written down and retold on all
sorts of caravan routes through Arabia, the Middle East and amongst Crusad-
ers and sailors in the 1500 years before reaching Chaucer- who does though
attribute it to a sage in India!
So jatakas emerged at a time when stories might be heard again and again,
as a way of communication and leisure. It seems rather like the case in rural
communities- such as Ireland up until very recently- where it's "the way he
tells them" rather than the newness of the story which is important. Humans
seem to need and like to use the imagination, and the jatakas come from a
culture when this was taken for granted and enjoyed as an active leisure time
pursuit.
Many traditions also have stories for communicating the teaching- to adults,
not just children! - in a form that seems to undermine too fiXed or systematic
analysis: the Mullah Nasradin stories, the Hassidic rabbinical stories. the
cryptic tales told by Rumi. Zen stories are for instance teaching methods in
themselves. As with the best storytelling and humour, they all seem to speak
to the part of the mind that understands and is touched by the inherent con-
tradictoriness of things . . . .
Here are a few: they are retellings, not exact translations, and the verses I've
taken directly from the Pali Text Society version.

Jataka 1 - ApllJ.ll}aka-jataka

The best place to start must be with the first jataka, which the Buddha
relates to five hundred friends of Anathapii}.Qika who have become beguiled by
views and false teachers. The Buddha reveals to them, as a warning, the
details of a long forgotten life of many years ago . . . "He then makes clear the
thing that rebirth had concealed from them, as though he were releasing the
full moon from the upper air, the birthplace of the snows":

Once upon a time the bodhisatta was reborn in Benares as a caravan leader and
wandering merchant; it was his custom to make journeys from east to west, and back
from west tci east again. On one occasion he filled five hundred caravans with expen-
sive goods from Benares; but another caravan leader, who had also loaded his five
hundred caravans with goods, wanted to make the same journey. This man was foolish
and lacking in common sense (anupayakusala.)
"It's not a good idea for us both to travel together," thought
the bodhisatta. "I'll discuss this with him."
When they met, the foolish merchant pushed to go first,
thinking to himself, ''This way the road won't be cut up;
there'll be plenty of grass for oxen and curry herbs for my
men; the water will be undisturbed and, best of all, I'll fix
my own prices at market." The bodhisatta readily concurred,
reasoning: "By the time my caravan follows the road will be

Samatha4 10
made even, there'll be new grow,ths of sweeter, fresher grass for the oxen where the old
has been picked and sweeter cuny herbs where those have been picked. There'll be
new water wells dug if necessary, and prices at the market will already be settled."
So the foolish merchant stocked up on water and set out on his way. Soon he left
human habitation and passed through a wilderness, beset not only by drought, but
demons as well: indeed a goblin haunted the desert looking for food. When the goblin
saw the carriage he thought to himself: " I will make these men throw away their water:
then when they are faint and tired, I shall devour them." So, with hair wet and adorned
with white flowers dripping with water he surrounded himself with attendants, also
with streaming wet hair and dripping lotuses, and appeared in a magic carriage driven
by white bulls, which had very muddy wheels.
"Where have you come from?" asked the caravan leader.
"We have come from somewhere filled with
all kinds of lakes and lotus ponds. I would
not take that water if I were you."
So the foolish merchant, believing him,
emptied all the water out and broke his jars.
By the time he had gone deep into the wil-
derness, weakened by thirst and hunger, for
there was not water to cook, he and his fol-
lowers fell asleep, and the goblins were able
to eat them up, leaving only the bones.
When the bodhisatta took his caravan, six weeks later, he filled all his jars with
water. The goblin appeared to him in exactly the same way but the bodhisatta was
resourceful and skilled enough (pQJ}{iitabhiivam upiiyakosallam,) to notice that this ap-
parently friendly being had an aggressive bearing and cast no shadow (a sure sign of a
supernatural being up to no good!). He also noticed that no rain cloud could be seen,
no storm cloud and no sign of any water ahead. So having planned the resources for
the journey carefully, he was not deceived into jettisoning his valuable water and man-
aged to keep his followers refreshed and with pleasant food; at night he maintained a
good guard over his caravan, and so arrived safely at his destination without losing a
single man.
"In this lifetime," said the Buddha, "Devadatta was the foolish merchant, his follow-
ers the followers of that caravan. The Buddha was the wise one, and his followers those
that followed him."

I like the way this story establishes right at the start the safety. careful
forward planning and the lack of hastiness that characterises the path of the
Buddha. The pacupannavatthu, or incident in the present which arouses the
memory of an analogous incident in the past, draws a direct parallel between
the present condition of the disciples in a 'wilderness' of views and their past
misfortunes. The bodhisatta, it seems, does not take the most obvious course
of action - but considers the long term; and so those that follow him do not
fall victim to delusions which have no substance or 'shadow'. and which could
consume them on their journey. He gets everyone where they need to be,
safely!

11 Samatha4
 The bodhisatta also exhibits one important quality that seems to be the nub
ofthejatakas: this is the words 'upiiyakusala.' In story after story, the empha-
sis is placed on the skilful trick, or the means by which compassion may be
made manifest. Does kusaln. here mean healthy, good, beautiful, or does it
just mean skilled? It seems to denote all of these and more, and it is what
distinguishes the flexible and resourceful mind of the bodhisatta as he extri-
cates himself and his followers from tricky situations. The person who pos-
sesses such qualities is repeatedly juxtaposed against the bala (stupid), avyatta
(shallow), and the anupayakusaln.- the one whose selfishness, views or greed
prevent him from seeing a good course of action, and so has no skill in means
to deal with new problems or trouble!
Sometimes the upii.ya kusaln. is manifest as a trick, sometimes a skill, and
sometimes a native intuition that knows how to assess any terrain carefully to
see how to act in it. Sometimes it depends upon a display of miraculous pow-
ers (as in number 20, below,) whereas sometimes a simple moment of metta, at
the right time, seems to be an upiiya kusala. Wherever it occurs, it ensures
that the bodhisatta saves himself and friends in difficult situations, and it is
implied, is like a natural resource of the bodhisatta path.
In Jataka 1 the bodhisatta exhibits no miraculous power or guile by being
upiiyakusala. He simply has the common sense to look at what is going on
around him, to plan, and to keep on the alert. This brings him the good luck
of not being attacked or prey to supernatural threat.
This is the first story, and I feel this says something very significant about
the bodhisatta's path!

Jataka 20 - Nalapana Jataka

This jataka also includes supernatural beings; like the first it seems to come
under the category of those which are fun on one level, but if you felt like
examining it a bit more you could interpret it in many intriguing ways. I think
it's particularly effective for modern readers because it is so reminiscent of the
Just So stories - which presumably were derived from jatakas and stories of
that kind in modern India. It could be called "How cane stalks come to be
hollow ... "

Once upon a time the bodhisatta is reborn as a monkey, as big as the fawn of the red
deer, and lord of 80,000 other monkeys whom he protects from harm. He gives his
fellow monkeys this piece of advice: "In this forest there are trees that are poisonous
and lakes haunted by ogres. If you want to eat any fruit or drink any water, please ask
me first."
The monkeys agreed, and one day they came to a lake they had never visited before.
But in accordance with the bodhisatta's wishes, they did not drink from it and waited
for him to arrive. When he did come up, he asked them why they were not drinking. "We
were waiting for you," they answered.
"Good!" said the bodhisatta. Then he walked down to the lake and noticed that while
there were many animal footprints leading down to the river, none came up again ...

Samatha4 12
 "You were right my friends. Pie lake is haunted by an ogre .. " He announced.
Now when the ogre of the water realised that they were not coming down to drink, he
assumed the appearance of a horrible monster with a blue belly, a white face and red
hands and feet and came up out of the water.
"Why are you sitting there? Why don't you come and drink?"
The bodhisatta asked him if he was the ogre of the water, and did he not eat any-
thing that came as his prey? "Certainly," replied the ogre and assured him that he
would eat anything, large or small, that ventured down towards his lake.
"Well we shall drink your water," announced the bodhisatta, "and the whole eighty
thousand of us will take a cane each and drink from the lake as easily as from a hollow
lotus stalk."
The bodhisatta then had a cane brought to him.
Reciting each of the ten perfections in tum he made
what is called an asseveration of truth,
'saccaki.riyClJ!l katvif for he had in the past culti-
vated each one of them. This act has such an ef-
fect on the world around that it enables a miracle
to occur: and sure enough, when he blew down the
cane it immediately became hollow, with no knot
in all its length. Another and yet another he had
brought, until he then made a tour of the lake and gave the command: "let all canes
growing here be hollow." Because of the great power of the bodhisatta, all the canes
became empty tubes in this way. (This is one of the four great miracles, such as the fact
that a hare can live in the moon, which are said to be efficacious through a whole aeon.)
After issuing the command, the bodhisatta seated himself with a cane in his hand,
as did the other eighty thousand monkeys and drank from the water. They all sucked
the water up and were refreshed. The ogre meanwhile went off in a rage back to his own
dwelling place.
"These," said the bodhisatta as he recounted the tale, "were my many followers as my
monkey tribe; Devadatta, the Buddha's evil cousin, was the ogre of the lake. In this
lifetime I was the monkey king, skilful in means." (upiiyakusala.)

This story, like many other short ones, is not as simple as it seems, and
needs time to be savoured before appreciating the full flavour. It could be seen
as hinging upon a clever trick, which it obviously does, but it rests in the mind
interestingly to anyone practising meditation. Just as the first one describes
safe passage through a wilderness, are there not some areas of the mind which
you need to check up on before 'drinking the water?' For is it not intriguing
that the water is itself good, but that there might need to be some encounter
and negotiation with an ogre before finding a way of drinking from it? Are
there some parts of the mind that may need an upiiya kusala to find what it is
that is refreshing and sustaining?
Perhaps with any new and interesting stage of the practice we need to take
stock and to find and trust the authority of the awake, investigative mind that,
like the bodhisatta, reflects carefully and checks for footprints that only go one
way ... or, that failing, ask someone else.

13 Samatha4
 Aspects of Astrology
These contributions came about as a result of work which a group in
Rossendale were doing to investigate some aspects of Astrology. They explore
the planets, the Western and Thai signs of the zodiac. and how they might
relate to the practice. It is assumed that people are familiar with the signs of
the zodiac in Western astrology, but some of the Thai signs may be less famil-
iar. Rahu, the eclipse demon, is said to be responsible for the waxing and
waning of the moon. Devacara is a rather unpredictable deity, depicted riding
on the back of a turtle, and a cangue collar is what it looks like in the drawing!
In the Thai system. only the seven inner planets are referred to.

a process through the planets

When we try to discover what is happenning in our daily lives to our hearts
and minds, it can be helpful to look for a process and see how it develops. For
example. what happens when we have to solve a problem. mend a broken toy,
make a decision, do the practice. One way to explore the process involved in
these activities is through the planets and the characteristics they embody-
these qualities are all present in each of us, to be drawn upon as we wish.
The process begins with contact with an object, which activates the Moon.
The Moon has the characteristics of receptivity, sensitivity and habitual ac-
tions. After contact with a mental or physical object. these qualities give rise to
ideas, connections and communications which are under the domain of Mer-

Samatha4 14
cury. Venus becomes active, and investigation, likes and dislikes and taking
possession of, are predominant in this part of the process. It is at this stage
that our response to the object takes shape. All of this activity is given a focus
and greater definition by the power of the Sun. The Sun represents our es-
sence rather than our personality, and gives direction to the next part of the
process.
There is then a leap foiWard through the energy of Mars - action, decisive-
ness and courage, which enables Jupiter to use its expansive and benevolent
qualities to open up the process. Jupiter enables us to see things from a wider
perspective, and to operate outside our habitual tendencies. At this point
things could expand to unmanageable proportions and lose impetus but Sat-
urn provides discipline, boundaries and a structure. The process has now
completed a cycle; if we add the outer planets of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto we
can continue the process on a different level.
Uranus brings sudden change. The settled stage that was reached with
Saturn suddenly takes a new direction with Uranus - a leap into the un-
known. This allows Neptune to explore, through feelings and intuition, areas
which cannot be easily catalogued or labelled. It is at this stage that powerful
emotions can be activated and the imagination may provide images and ideas.
The final stage of the process is brought about by the influence of Pluto -
clarification and revelation. The process can now be 'let go of clearing the way
for the next cycle.
As an everyday example of this I recently went to a health food shop which
I had not been to before. It sold organic fruit and vegetables which I like to buy
when I can. The process went something like this:
On entering the shop I saw the display of fruit and vegetables (contact-
Moon.) I checked what was available, the quality, the quantity and price (men-
tal activity- Mercury.) I then started to think about what I would like to buy,
and what were my favourite things. I also started feeling pleased with what
was available (Ukes and disUkes - Venus.) Without stopping to look around
the rest of the shop first. I started putting things in my basket (focused activity
- Sun.) The basket was then too heavy to carry around with me and I looked
for a convenient place to leave it while I looked around the rest of the shop
(decisiveness- Mars.) I explored the rest of the shop which contained many
things which looked interesting and which I felt would be useful to 'have in'
(expansiveness - Jupiter.) However, common sense prevailed, and I consid-
ered what things might be useful for meals over the next week and exercised
restraint (Saturn.)
Seeing the separate parts in a process as mundane as this can be helpful in
setting up a habit of practising clear comprehension- knowing what you do
as you do it.

15 Samatha4
 Thai and Western Signs and Symbols

Samatha4 16
 some signs and planets of practice

Mars dstupa VAries

Beginning the practice: paying attention to the physical base and the pos-
ture; making the initial decision to practise with vigour; setting up what is
good.

Venus 9 Gold Umbrella ~Taurus

Entering the world of feeling: becoming aware of what one really needs;
desiring that which is of worth; settling into one's basis of strength built on
experience; warmth, protection and love.

Mercury 'cj. Silver Umbrella lt'Geminl

Emerging into the world of 'thinking': the mind becoming lighter, sharper;
perceptions becoming clearer; quicksilver.

Moon)) Decapitated Body 0 Cancer

Approaching the heart: entering a finer level of feeling; letting go of 'think-

ing'; touching mystery, sensibility, sensitivity and power; developing persis-
tence and straightness; a shining reflection.

Sun 0 Palace S'/, Leo

Finding one's golden home: entering a place of majesty and power; occupying
a central position; becoming royal; having riches and dominion; the warmth
of the sun.

Mercury 'cj. Golden Shrine ll) Virgo

Discovering the heart of the practice: investigating what is really important;

communicating with one's inner self; sacredness and a sense of inner worth;
purity.

Venus 9 Rahu ~Libra

Enjoying the practice: resting; going into a darkness and coming out re-
newed; freeing the spirit; freedom and balance; a space from which some-
thing new can emerge; birth.

17 Samatha4
 Mars dDeva Cara 11\. Scorpio

Exploring the depths: the uncovering of inner conflicts giving rise to motiva-
tion in unexpected directions; a sword.

Jupiter Z,.Prlsoner wearing a Cangue Collar /Sagittarius

Joining a lineage: exploration and expansion protected by connection to a

tradition; decision; crystallisation; joy and enthusiasm; action.

Saturn t Sorcerer\hCaprlcom
Transformation: restriction as knowledge of things as they really are; being
deeply affected by this knowledge; letting go into that; the power of knowl-
edge; magic; the drive for success.

Saturn t Sorceress \WAquarlus

Transformation: the female aspect: intuitive way of stepping through restric-

tion; changing what seemed impossible to change: apparently making things
appear out of nothing; faith.

Jupiter 4- Naga ~ Pisces

Guarding discovered treasure: returning deep beneath the earth; knowing

the bottom of things; awareness of underground riches; latent power; sensi-
tivity and creativity; oceanic.

Samatha4 18
 6
u
d
d
li
0

t
u
rban
crowned
fila *ment
calf's lashes
blue eyes
Brahma's voice
mighty tongue
white teeth
undivided teeth
level teeth forty teeth
lion's jaw highest of tastes
smoothly rounded shoulders
proportioned like the banyan tree
filled hollow between the shoulders
lion-like is the upper part of his body
seven outflowing places: hands, feet, shoulder tips,
top of back straight frame like Brahma dark upturned
hairs single hairs subtle skin golden skin covered by a bag is
that which garments must conceal while standing without bending
he touches and rubs all over his knees with both palms his lower
leg is like the antelope raised ankles like conches netlike hands and
feet soft and tender hands and feet long fingers and toes extended heels
on the soles of his feet and on the palms of his hands wheels arise he has well-planted
feet: evenly he lowers his foot to the ground, evenly he lifts it, evenly he touches the
ground with the sole of his foot these are the 32 marks of the great man

19 Samatha4
 five scenes from a journey

"There are Jour types of progress in the practice: there is practice which progresses
painfully, with slow penetration; there is practice which progresses painfully, with quick
penetration; there is practice which progresses pleasantly, with slow penetration; there
is practice which progresses pleasantly, with quick penetration.·

I.

The road was long and hard, and often I was cold and hungry, soaked with
mud and scratched with briers. But still I followed the road, remembering the
ancient signpost that had pointed me home.

II.

"Jump!" cried the wizard who guarded the gate. 'This is the way: there is no
other!" Hitching up my skirt, I jumped through the flames.

III.

In the heat of the summer's day, the broad river was inviting. I took off my
torn, singed and muddy clothes and left them on the bank. Confident and
unhurried, I swam to the other side.

IV.

The robe and crown I had half-expected, but the wings were a surprise. For a
little while I stretched them, letting them grow strong in the air. Then I set off
over land and sea on the next stage of the journey.

v.
I complained to my guide: "How come I feel so heavy again?"
"You're carrying others now," he said. "What do you think you grew the wings
for?"

The End, perhaps ...

Samatha4 20
 The way of the worrier
Worry expands to fill the time available for it. People actually need to worry
if they lack food or shelter. For those who have the means of subsistence and
comfort, worry becomes an end in itself. Or rather, it becomes a means to a
particular end. That end is to avoid thinking about, and dealing with,
unsatisfactoriness.
The other hindrances can be seen in this way too. Craving, in itself a way of
reminding us when we need to eat or do other things, is artificially cultivated to
keep one's mind off the feeling of emptiness. Aversion, ostrich-like, tries to
hide from suffering. Sleepiness is the quickest way of getting away from it all.
Doubt is another good way: if the mind is dithering, it does not have to con-
front unpleasantness. Thus suffering leads to numbness, which in turn leads
to carelessness, which leads to more suffering.
It is said that onehas to be enlightened to appreciate dukkha fully. But
actually people have a pretty good idea about it. This is why they spend so
much time developing the hindrances. The same is true of emptiness -which
we like to think of as an abstruse concept which only the very wise can under-
stand. In fact, we understand it only too well, especially the emptiness in our
own personalities. This is why we will look anywhere except in that direction.
Similarly with anicca: it is practically impossible to contemplate our own im-
permanence, because the mind refuses to turn that way.
Samatha gives us strength to encompass these truths. It develops the
strength which comes from relaxation. We lose the brittleness which makes us
afraid to move in case we snap. We gain the strength which comes from know-
ing what we can rely on, just as the pyramids gain their strength from resting
on the sand. Insight then comes back to us as we no longer need to turn away
from it.

"One reason mindfulness may seem effortful is because of the pain of negative
thoughts. The pain, however, does not come from mindful awareness of these thoughts
but from a single-minded understanding of the painful event. A mindful new perspec-
tive would erase the pain more effectively." 1

Now for some particular worries. People sometimes think they have to be
unusually good or heroic to practise meditation. Or they berate themselves.
often with self-deprecating jokes, for their unskilfulness; but this is escapism.
We all have all the good qualities we need. All that is necessary is to be a
human being. It takes practice to learn to balance those good qualities, that is
all.
Another way Buddhists have of frightening themselves is the idea of 'getting
rid of the self. According to Buddhism, the 'self,' like all conditioned things, is
impermanent, bound up with suffering and void of real existence. The 'self is
not unique in this. Everything in the world shares these characteristics. There
is no need to 'get rid' of the things one finds in the world: only to use them
wisely. The self is not the cause of suffering; greed, hatred and delusion are
the causes of suffering. These are the things we are invited to leave behind.
1 Ellen J Langer: Mindfulness, Harvill, 1991

21 Samatha4
The belief. that the self exists or does not exist, is just an opinion, and opinions
generally become les rigid as the practice goes on. Presumably, when there is
no more ignorance there will be no more speculative opinions about a self. But
it is a splendid worry, to make oneself believe both that the self does not exist,
and that one has to get rid of it.
Then there is the fear of death, which lies behind so many anxieties whose
function is to stop us remembering it. But perhaps this is not the ultimate
worry. There is also fear of enlightenment (amata Nibbiina- 'Nibbana the
deathless'). The prospect of life without greed, hate or delusion seems too
much to bear. What would be left? What would there be to live for? Perhaps
this is the fear of life, which is the same as the fear of death, because both are
fear of emptiness. We are addicted to greed, hate and delusion, not so much
because we are gluttonous, malevolent lunatics, as because we are simply
afraid of emptiness. We might want to become enlightened, but we cannot
imagine anything that could take the place of the hindrances.
At the same time, we also know the answer, because everyone at some time
has known the happiness which comes from forgetting oneself, or forgetting to
worry about oneself. This can happen in many ways, and is very easily forgot-
ten, because it is so disconcerting in the way it upsets one's acustomed views.
Also, because that happiness has been so fleeting, perhaps we prefer to do
without it, rather than risk the pain of losing it again.
So why should I attempt to leave the shelter of worry and its fellow-hin-
drances? I feel as if I am in the position of a pampered slave trying to under-
stand the advantages of unservile status.
"You work from dawn to dusk in all weathers to earn a living," says the slave
to the freeman. "while I have food and comfort, and am better dressed than you
are, for all your freedom." To which the freeman can only reply, "But I keep
what I earn and am equal before the law to anyone in the land." "A pleasant
legal fiction," counters the slave. "And as for what you earn. you only keep it
because it is not worth anyone's while to take it from you."
"But look," says the freeman, " I have saved enough money to buy your
freedom"- for the slave is a distant relative of his. "Keep your money,"laughs
the slave. "I have enough to buy my freedom, and your farm, a dozen times
over. My master trusts me and it would be a poor slave who could not convert
his master;s trust into a solid bank balance if he wanted to." As the freeman
prepares to leave, the slave says, " I would offer you something to eat before
you go, but I should not like to insult you with the bread of slavery." The
freeman cannot avoid a pang of disappointment, for the cuisine of the house is
famous.
Yet when I try to be free instead of a slave, just as an experiment, I find it is
not so terrible. It is only the unfamiliarity which sends me scuttling back to
my old ways.
" To be alert in this fashion, open to new perspectives and new information, is not
effortful. What may take effort is the switch from a mindless to a mindful mode ... "1

Samatha4 22
 By 'free', I mean dealing with current experience as it comes up. This is
only a very partial idea of freedom, but one has to be free to the best of one's
existing abilities.
Why should we deal with experience as it happens? Because that is the only
way one can deal with it. Once it's gone, it's history. How different English
history might have been if King Alfred could have un-burnt the cakes we will
never know.
There are many things involved in learning to deal with current experience.
What follows concerns just two of these aspects (chosen for no better reason
than that they are what the writer has been interested in recently). One is to
take experience as it really is, not as it ought to be according to theories or
wishful thinking. The other is to keep letting that experience go all the time.
We have to see our experience as it is, because otherwise we cannot respond
appropriately. Real experience is seldom what we assume it is when we are not
paying close attention to it. If we respond to what we think our circumstances
are, without looking at them attentively, we may end up responding to some-
thing that hasn't happened at all.
There may be a problem when we pay attention to our experience: it may
turn out to be too mixed, too fast-moving, too unfamiliar to make sense of.
especially in the bustle of everyday life.
The solution is that we can choose what to be aware of. We can select what
is relevant for our purpose.
In the unmindful state, awareness is limited by dullness. When we try to be
awake, we may find there is too much coming in for comfort or convenience.
So we can pick out what is useful in dealing with current experience. This
means filtering out some of the multifarious messages about phenomena -
that is, things which demand to be recognised as existing or happening. We
can look at how we feel about what is happening and at our instinctive reac-
tions. We can look at our mental and emotional conditions Gust as we can
experience physical balance or imbalance). This is where. in everyday life,
decisions can be made which really affect our happiness. Please note that this
article does not try to tell you how to 'respond appropriately'! It's more about
getting to the point of having the opportunity to do so.
'Trying to be mindful' is alright as long as we notice what is actually hap-
pening, without preconceptions about what mindfulness should be. Other-
wise we can get caught up in a quest for what may be an imaginary 'mindful'
state of mind. For instance, the reality may be that there is a feeling of tension,
as often happens when an effort is begun. Then there might be a feeling of
searching: looking for things to be aware of and wondering what to do with
them when we find them. Then there might be a feeling of disappointment or
bafflement, and then the mind might occupy itself with something else, only to
come back to the subject of mindfulness, and berate itself for failure. (This is
only one possible sequence of events. Something completely different might
happen.)
If we get caught up in all this, then the idea of 'mindfulness' has itself be-
come a mirage to confuse us. Of course, we can always step out of the ring of

23 Samatha4
confusion by noticing what is really going on. However stupid or unworthy it
may seem at first, once it is seen, it will become interesting, possibly even
amusing and will lose its power to oppress. Especially if we notice things in
context: that is, if we start to get a broader view, rather than having a very
tightly focused view, governed by preconceptions. (When I say 'you' or 'we', I
hope it is understood that I am talking to myself.)
As for letting go of our experience all the time, this is simply so that we can
be free to deal with the next bit of experience.
Letting each moment go requires renunciation. Oh dear. There are ways
round this, however. One way is to start watching for what comes next. This
is like a child listening to a story. "And then what happened? And then what
happened?" One's boring daily life starts to become fascinating when we watch
for what is really happening. This is a greedy attitude; but the greed is being
used for a skilful purpose. When we want to know what is going to happen
next, we will be happy to let the last moment go. It isn't really the experience
that we have to let go of. That goes of its own accord. It's the chatter, the
thoughts and fantasies, which the experience leaves in its wake, which need to
be released.
With experience being dealt with on the spot as it comes up, certain satis-
factions begin to accrue. (Greed again). There is the pleasure of feeling bal-
anced, rather than staggering under a bombardment of aggressive events. There
is the pleasure of feeling less distorted, as we learn not to grasp the ungraspable.
This is hard to imagine when distortion seems normal.
There is the relief of no longer having to try to be what we are not. What we
are is beings who have to live from moment to moment. We do this anyway: we
cannot help it. But we do it painfully and uneconomically, grasping at some
things, running away from others, crashing into things in the process, and
becoming distorted in mind and body. Taking experience as it happens can
allow us to begin correcting these habits.
There is relief, because worries are seen for what they are: an unpleasant
kind of anaesthetic.
There is more energy. We think of sloth and torpor as states deprived of
energy. But in fact they are full of energy. The mind devotes lots of effort and
ingenuity to blocking off its natural wakefulness. When it no longer has to do
this, then there is energy to spare.
"Rather than being a chore, mindfulness engages us in a continuing momentum "1

If these benefits, or others like them, arrive, then they can, as well as being
welcome guests, be useful in going further along the Eightfold Path.
If we are balanced in one moment, then we are ready for what happens in
the next moment, and the next, and so on. The stuff of experience may be too
fast-moving, and too complex (or too simple) to understand. Fortunately we
don't have to understand the entire universe in order to keep our balance, just
as the sailboarder doesn't have to understand oceanography in order to stay
upright (or to climb back up after a dunking).

Samatha4 24
 If there is relief from distorting worry, then there can be some happiness.
We can take strength from this happiness and use it to go further. We can feel
compassion for ourself, a being pre-programmed to exhaust itself chasing after
mirages. Feeling compassion for ourself, we can become compassionate to-
wards others. Our own suffering then assumes less importance. And the
compassion helps us to follow humane ends.
Compassion helps with mindfulness. Human beings seem to have this pe-
culiarity, that they can't be objective unless they have compassion. Without
compassion, the mind slips into whatever alluring narrow attitude suggests
itself. With compassion, we can take a wider view, overriding momentary per-
sonal inclination. There is no need to worry when we can't arouse even a spark
of compassion for ourself or anyone else. The wish to have compassion will do
just as well.
The above ideas should be taken in moderation. They are just an attempt to
understand one of the eight parts of the Noble Eightfold Path: right mindful-
ness. They need to be balanced with the other seven, and then to be thought
of as part of a gradual process.

25 Samatha4
 - 0 --

0
6

Arr.. it's afine old thing watching the breath -

Mmm.. very settlin'

Samatha Ia?
Samatha is ... gladdening
. . . tea and biscuits
. . . cramps in the legs
... heart alchemy
. . . the practice that counts . .

Samatha4 26
 an assignment for sam vicara, state investigator
Episode 4 - "On the Threshold of Liberty"

THE STORY SO FAR: Tracking down Citta was

no easy task for the Sankharaville sleuth. The
fact she was so different in different company
didn't help. He'd tailed her down mean streets
and staked out hotel rooms. At the state fair
they almost came face to face ...

Sam mopped his brow as he stood in line for

a ticket. The Big Apple was baking. Even the
deep shade under the Statue was like an oven.
The brim of Sam's fedora stuck to his brow like a kid's tongue to a popsicle. Ice
-what a dream! Anything to blow away this heat.
For the umpteenth time he took out the postcard. A little ragged now, a
matching accessory for his nerves. It read:

"Swn-
What happened at the state fair? We thought you were joining us, then we
lost yoiL Citta's gotten interested in Liberty and Liberation so we just had to fly
straight here. Can you meet us on the tenth at noon?
Joe "

The incorruptible Joe Sati. Sam knew that in his company Citta blossomed.
Her skin took on the texture of flower petals. Unlike the times she hung out
with the Hetu gang - Fats Lobha, Danny 'The Icebox' Dosa and Blind Mat
Moha. Then she went kind of pasty looking and you'd have to say she was
homely.
The queue moved forward. Sam crossed the threshold and thrust a green-
back at the ticket clerk. Then he was on his way, up that famous landmark,
the Statue of Liberty. It was cooler inside, shielded from the sun by all that
stone, with a breeze from somewhere drying the sweat on his neck.
He checked his wristwatch. A quarter before noon. And, yes, this was the
tenth. "I just hope to heck this is the place he meant," Sam muttered to him-
self. Seven minutes later he checked again. He guessed he was halfway up -
in the heart of the Statue, if it had a heart. He stopped on the landing and
rested.
Some kind of viewing point with a seating area led off to one side, all fitted
out in red plush. Sam wondered if he should check it out. but decided there
wasn't time. The head was where Joe and Citta would be and he had to be
there by noon. He couldn't risk missing them.
As he came out on the famous gallery just below the spiked crown, the sun
socked him right in the eyes. He caught his breath at the height - and the

27 Samatha4
Samatha4 28
view! You could see every bridge, every island - heck, on a good day maybe
clear to Europe.
He looked around. Plenty of tourists, milling around like crazy, coming and
going, you couldn't believe so many. But no Joe and Citta. Okay, there was
still a minute to go, he wasn't late. He'd just stand here and let it all wash over
him.
What amazed him was the torch, the one in the Statue's hand. It was still
way above him. Looking at it made him kind of dizzy. It wasn't an unpleasant
sensation, more like that kids' party game where they blindfold you and pre-
tend they've lifted you to the ceiling. Fear and exhilaration. The flame on the
torch tapered off to a point and where the point met the pure blue of the sky it
was like there was no problem any more, there was nothing more you had to
do, or needed, it was all okay. Even finding Citta or not finding her, that was
okay too.
Until Sam looked at his watch. Holy smoke- it was nearly one! He looked
around the space wildly, his eyes trying to adjust to gloom after the light. He
pushed through the crowds of tourists like a maniac subway ticket-inspector,
stopping now and then to stand on tiptoe. The world's languages washed over
him - Spanish, Italian, Greek, Chinese. They all seemed to say the same
thing: Sam, you blew it.
The detective gritted his teeth, reset the angle of his fedora and set off grimly
down to earth. The image of the flame against the sky was still with him, but
now it was like something on another planet. It was like the last ace you
needed to make four, that never quite arrived.
At the halfway landing he paused. The viewing lounge with its red plush
looked inviting. He went in. It was quiet, not many tourists and most of the
ones there were sitting still, relaxed. There was a small viewing window. Oddly
enough you could see almost as much from the head.
In the wooden dado rail above the back of the plush bench, someone had
stuck a note. On it was scrawled: Sam Vicara, Sankharaville Detective
Agency. Sam took it out and with nervous fingers unfolded it.

II Swn Sorry you didn't make it. Can't wait. Leaving this in case you arrive
later. Joe.II

Sam struck the heel of his hand against his brow. They'd been here all the
time! Here in the heart, while he'd been up in the head. Because up there was
the obvious place. Wasn't it? That was where the crowds were.
And yet ... maybe it was just too obvious. Maybe from Day One of this
investigation he'd forced things, not been subtle enough. Stuck in his old
habits, like riding a streetcar that all the time was going the wrong way.
"A tough lesson," Sam reflected as he straightened his tie and headed back
down to earth. But maybe it was the tough ones that were the best.
To be continued

29 Samatha4
 should we?

Should we strive for stillness

in our complex worlds
of homes and work,
families and cares,
patterned by patterning,
ever changing?

Of course!

We must work day and night,

in darkness and light,
through twilight and arising,
in conflict and distress,
wherever we are
ceaselessly striving.

Listening to Dhamma,
reflecting on Dhamma,
investigating Dhamma,
hearing teachers,
listening to teachings,
grasping opportunities,
producing patterns,
carefully cleansing
and
letting go
we light up
and plunge into
peace.

Samatha4 30
Samatha4
 Contributions for Issue 5

It is hoped this will be ready to coincide with Vesakh,

so contributions should arrive by March 1998.
Articles, drawings etc. can be sent to:

The Editor,
Samatha,
Mer Centre for Buddhist Meditation,
19-21 High Lane, Chorlton,
Manchester M21 9DJ

or by e-mail to:
journal®samatha. demon. co. uk

Samatha4
 THE SAMATHA TRUST

The Trust was founded in 1973 with the aim of

encouraging and supporting the tradition of Samatha:
a form of Buddhist practice which awakens inner
stillness, a base for clarity and understanding.
Samatha classes are held around the country and
residential courses are offered at our national centre in
Wales. For further details contact:

The Samatha Trust

Greenstreete
Llangunllo
Powys
LD7 lSP

The Samatha Trust is a registered charity (No.

266367) and relies on donations for its income.

Samatha4
 Samatha Groups in England, Wales and Ireland
For information please contact:

BELFAST: Dermot Murphy ..............................01693 63848

BIRMINGHAM: Keith Munnings ........................0121458 2353
BOLTON: Les Callow .................................0161445 9746
BRISTOL/BATH: Rupert Gethin ....................... 01272 411902
BUXTON: Rosemru:yRose ............................ 01629814617
CAMBRIDGE: Rachael Hall ........................... 01223 249 732
CHESTER: David Wainwright ......................... 01244 336 283
DURHAM/SUNDERLAND: Peter Harvey ................. 01913 843 913
LIVERPOOL: Tony Jones .............................. 0151427 3784
LLANGUNLLO: Lizzie Somerfield .......................01544 260 039
LONDON: Liz Walford .................................0171381 5288
MANCHESTER: Pam Gibson ...........................0161 861 0276
OLDHAM: Mario Wlodarczyk .......................... 0161 330 4968
OXFORD: Colin George .............................. 01865 726 312
PEMBROKESHIRE: Marjorie Jack ...................... 01348 811 583
RADCLIFFE: Valerie Roebuck ..........................0161 860 4716
READING: Georgina Olley ............................. 0118 947 8787
or: Rachel Anley: ............................0118 972 2676
ROSSENDALE: Mary Corbishley ....................... 01706 218 876
SHEFFIELD: Ian Rose ............................... 01629 814 617
STOCKPORT: Sheila Davies ...........................0161434 7683
WILMSLOW: Rob Adkins .............................01625 850 709

California, U.S.A.

BERKELEY: Chris Morray-Jones ........................ 510 843 9643

Beginners Courses: Graham Murphy .................. 0151 722 0893

Samatha4