Samatha

Published twice yearly

by The Sam.atha Trust
Issue number 2 August 1996

Production
Contents Tricta Brown
Jackie Callow
Shamshad Khan
What is a Buddha? 1 Vicki MacGregor
with help from
Perfecting 4 Rob Adkins
Les Callow
Letter from Berkeley 5 Debbie End
Penpon Flynn
Giles Griffiths
In Search of the Middle 7 Joan Ormerod
Valerie Roebuck
Training the Mind and Attention 8 Contributors
Alex Barr
Method and Inspiration 11 Terry Blake
Paul Dennison
A Breath's Journey to the Heart 13 Rupert Gethin
Chris Gilchrist
Peter Harvey
Fine Work 14 Usha McNab
Charles Shaw
Na Yan: an introduction 16 Sarah Shaw
Jonathan Stein
A Riddle 19 Fiona Thomas
and
a Cambridge group
A Question of Judgement 21
Contributions
Understanding and Abandoning 24 for Issue 3 to:
The Editor
Samatha
Sam Vicara: Episode 2 26 Manchester Centre
for Buddhist
Treading the Path 28 Meditation
19-21 High Lane
Blessing 31 Chorlton
Manchester
M219DJ by
An Afterword 32 October 15th 1996
~ I
What is a Buddha?

A Buddha is an 'Awakened One', who has fully woken up' from the mental fuzziness
in which the greed, jealousy, hatred, irritability, fear, laziness, agitation, vacillation
and the many other similar defilements which we all suffer from, live and grow. He
skilfully points the way for others to cut through the defIlements: by
the thunderbolt of wisdom coming from the peaceful sky
of a calmed mind. Through compassion he learnt to be-
come a Buddha by develop- ing perfect insight in a mind
which had come, through samatha, to a state of pro-
found, sensitive stillness. His insight showed him a
panorama of his past lives, and their dukkha, or
sufferings, the rebirth of beings according to the
quality of their actions and the Four Noble Truths:
dukkha, the causes of dukkha, its transcending,
and the path leading to this. In knowing the transcend-
ing of dukkha, he fully ex- perienced what this
meant the timeless, uncon- ditioned state ofNibbiina.
Is the Buddha hu- man? He was born as
one though, once he was Awakened, he lacked
all the negative traits that humans, and other
beings are prone to. When he was
once asked whether he was a
deva (a god), he said "no", and
similarly to the questions of
whether he was a gandhabba
(a fragrance eating heavenly
musician), a yakkha (a nature spirit) or even
a human. In response to his puzzled questioner, he explained that he had destroyed
all the tendencies that would have kept him limited as one of these kinds of being. He
was like a lotus growing from muddy water, which comes, unsoiled, to stand above it.

....•
Can we know a Buddha?

The Buddha indeed had a mysterious nature, due to his profound wisdom, his
complete non-attachment. and to the mysterious state of Nibbana which he encom-
passed in his liberated mind. His nature as a Tathagata, as one who is attained to
that which is 'inconceivably as-it-is', cannot be known by the mind of an ordinary calming of all constructing activities, the destruction of attachment, hatred and
person. He said that the nature of a liberated person (a Buddha or an Arahat) could delusion, the cessation of all dukkha, peace, the island amidst the flood, the cool
not be identified with the personality factors that compose a normal person: material cave of shelter, the highest bliss.
form, feeling, labelling, constructing activities and conditioned consciousness. Hav-
ing abandoned attachment to these, such a liberated one was truly deep, immeasur-
able and hard to fathom as is the great ocean. ....•
If a Buddha is hard to fathom, though, he is not impossible to fathom. This is
because one can begin to know the nature of the Buddha through insight into Dhamma. How can we relate to the Buddha now?
The Buddha said, 'whoever sees Dhamma sees me; whoever sees me sees Dhamma'.
Seeing Dhamma in this sense is to gain the 'Dhamma-eye', so that Dhamma is seen, We can wholeheartedly practise the Dhamma so that, in time, we may come to
attained, known and fathomed, a state said to be 'Entering the Stream'. Through the see and fathom the Buddha's Dhamma nature at Stream-entry. To help nurture this
practice of generous moral purity, unwavering faith, and deep insight into all person- process we can bring to mind and contemplate the qualities of the three refuges of the
ality factors as not-Self, one 'sees' Dhamma both in the sense of Nibbana and the path Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. We can be open to the help of those gods who
that leads to it, as well as in the law-orderliness that is Conditioned Arising. The are also Noble Ones, all such gods being so long lived that many of them will have
existence and the nature of the goal are crystal clear, and the way to it is seen as themselves heard the Buddha teach. We can be open to the help of Metteya, the
leading to it as sure as a river leads on to the sea. Bodhisatta dwelling in the heaven of the delighted gods, who will be the next Buddha,
Why can the Dhamma-seeing Stream-enterer be said to see and fathom the Bud- in a future age.
dha? Whenever the Buddha or an Arahat experiences Nibbana, his consciouness
becomes it, the highest Dhamma, and his personality richly embodies the qualities of
the Dhamma-path leading to Nibbana. In 'seeing' the path and its goal, the Stream-
enterer truly sees what a Buddha is about. He or she then goes on to practise the
....•
path at a deeper level than before, cultivating the 'thirty-seven dhammas condUCing
to awakening' at the level of a noble one: the four foundations of mindfulness, the four
right efforts, the four bases of success, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven
factors of awakening, and the noble eight-factored path. All of these are qualities
which are embodied, at the highest level, by a Buddha.

....•
Has the Buddha gone?

When the Buddha attained Parinibbana, or final Nibbana, the only things which
died were the conditioned, impermanent states of mind and body pertaining to
dukkha. As a Buddha is one who has fully experienced the timeless, unconditioned
state of Nibbana in the form of a revolutionised consciousness gone beyond all lim-
iting objects, this deathless, Selfless, unconditioned Dhamma could not die but
remains timelessly as it is: unborn, un constructed , beyond any signs indicating
anything graspable, undirected to any object of desire, empty of any grounds for ego
feelings or views, not resting on any object, unelaborated, nonmanifestive, where
earth, water, fire and air have no footing, and the conditioned mind falls away, the

Samatha2 2 ~ .~nrnnthn ?

Perfecting
Generosity - can help to overcome the rigid obedience arising from
clinging to good conduct - it is a protection, not a cage.
Good conduct - can help to overcome the pride arising from
clinging to letting go - it is giving up with humility.
Letting go - can help to overcome the wrong view arising from
clinging to wisdom - it is seeing clearly in each moment.
Wisdom - can help toovercomefhefortef'ulllessariSing from
clinging to strength -.it iSdirectedWitllth~(Jbject not against it.
Strength -canhelptoovercoIIle the apathy arising fI"om
clinging to patieI1Ge - iti§an active, awaretol@rance.
Patience - can help to overcome the dogma arising from
clinging to hone§ty - jt is seeing how things change.
Honesty - can help to overcome theiIill~xibilityafising from
clinging to resoluteness - it moves theprocess(>Ilwards.
Resoluteness - can help to overcome the sentimentality arising
from clinging to loving kindness - it is solid and has direction.
Loving kindness - can help to overcome the indifference arising
from clinging to equanimity - there is still a link with others.
Equanimity - can help to overcome the attachment arising from
clinging to generosity - it is letting go without expectations.
Samatha2 4 0::
About 9 months ago, I began a class in
Samatha meditation. From my previous
perspective, this has been like learning how
to do nothing. It is one of the most diffi-
A member of the beginners'
meditation class in
cult things I have ever learned to do.
Berkeley, California recently
applied for a place at a
It is neither consistent with my background
nor is it part of my explicit goals. But it
graduate business school.
does make the things I do more meaning-
As part of the application
ful. process, he was asked to
answer the question: «What
Compared to other types of meditation,
non-professional activity do
Samatha is relatively structured. One
youfind most inspiring, and
progresses through various steps in a cur-
why?" This is what he
wrote:
riculum. Step one is a daily five minute
practice. After a week, one graduates to a
ten minute practice broken into two seg-
ments. In each segment, the length of breath taken changes. The same pattern
continues until the practice lasts 25 or 30 minutes. At this point, the length varia-
tions are maintained but the focus on the object changes. Instead of counting, you
might focus on the breath itself. The patterns become increasingly complex.
During the practice, the mind will inevitably act. It will think about anything. The
primary challenge is to maintain focus on the breath while moving through the stages
of the practice. It is not possible to eradicate one's thoughts; the goal is to recognise
them and to aSSist in their dissipation. Thus one is
able to focus on the meditation object alone. And
what is so important about the object? Viewed as
an ordinary thought. nothing. One of the central
goals of the practice is to develop mindfulness. You
become mindful by having a perspective on your own
thoughts. The object is a tool for developing this
skill.
What is inspiring about the meditation practice is
that it throws into high relief the things that I choose
to make important. By requiring you to sit and think
about nothing, other than the breath and the stages
of the practice, you are forced to make the ultimate
prioritisation. Your aim is to be present; not to
wander, but to recognise your thoughts. You can-
C'"' _ _ _ ..I..I_ _ n
not plan your career, wrtte a letter, daydream, or worry about the weather. When In Search of the Middle
you have finished, you tend to stay present.
The middle is here the middle is there,
I have learned, by sheer repetition, habits of presence and perspective. The most It seems the middle is everywhere.
excruciatingly boring moment at work, when broken down to its smallest incre- To find the middle, this is my quest.
ment, is neutral or even relaxing. The most awkward moments in a social interac- Until it is found my search will not rest.
tion, when stripped of consequence, are benign or sometimes amusing. The great-
est pain in my leg during the practice, if gently subordinated, is rendered inconse- Static and moving it changes each day.
quential. My meditation experience has had no effect on my goals. It has affected Maybe the te~ching willshow me the way.
the level at which I am present and the level to which I appreciate my goals as much Dhammas and Suttas, The Four Noble Truths,
as my non-goals. In moments derived from the goals to which they are directed, Safe in the precepts I set my hearUo~~e.;;
while designing a marketing portfolio, creating a new marketing letter or involved in
a tenant negotiation, I am automatically absorbed. But I have learned that paying Though Idon't kill, I have murderous thoughts,
attention to each moment gives every moment independent value of its own. View eating meat asa hurting of sorts.
Angry when thwarted, I try to reffa:tn,
Thi~ middle sure floats on a turbfd terratn .
•++
• Not stealfngJhe things that others possess,
I pick up found objects never-the-Iess~
TIlewaI1ting is real. I knoWIts "not given".
Is this where the middleUes partia1lyhidden?

Is sex a problem - not surprising to see -

At times lust rises from deep Within me,
Dteaihs·can be froitywhen Mara cOlll.es round:
This.middIels rooted litcolourfu.l ground.

Speaking is easy - Fro modest, that's me.

TIlOughpeople who've met me may not agree.
Delusion absentll'm shy a13 a mOUSe.
Why is thtslniddle. the size of a house?

Psychedelics and dope I've leftbehtnd,

I ratelydrink liqUids that cloud theniind.
The food thatIeat is wholesoine and pure.
This reformed middle must surely be more.
Purification oJSila
Five types of middle - from large through to small.
When put together form a strange ball.
I can't lift or roll it. What should I do?
... mmm, "strive on heedfully" - is this the clue?

Samatha 2 6 7 .~nTT1nt"n ?
 Training the mind and attention A famous passage states:

This mind. monks, is brightly shining, but it is defiled by defilements which arrive.
Looking at some verses on citta (mind/heart) from the Dhammapada: But this is not understood as it really is by the spiritually uneducated, so they do
not (meditatively) develop the mind.
The flickering, fickle mind, difficult to guard. difficult to control, .... Monks, whatever states are unwholesome, have a part in unwholesome
- the wise man straightens it as afletcher. an arrow. ness, are on the side of unwholesomeness: all these have adverting mind as
their forerunner. First arises mind-turning-towards-objects, and those unwhole-
The mind consists of an ever-changing stream of thoughts and mind-sets, ever some statesfoUow after. (Mguttara Nikaya 1.10).
flowing on, never resting. It constantly hums and roars, and is hardly ever silent or
still. It is hungry and always on the lookout for 'food', be this in the form of experi- So, as negligence and indolence are a powerful sustainer of the unwholesome,
ences, things to do, or think about. heedfulness or mindfulness stimulate the arising of wholesome states. One should be
vigilant and wide awake so as to ensure the mind does not get tainted by the 'arrival'
The mind is hard to check, swift, flits wherever it lists, of defilements such as the hindrances. In its depths, the mind is pure and radiant, it
- the control thereof is good: a controUed mind is conducive to happiness. becomes defiled by mishandling its relationships with objects of the senses and mind.
So it is best to incline towards vigilant, calm stillness, which allows the mind's still
It is good to gently train the mind, and one of the best ways of doing so is by
depths to be seen below its usually restless surface. Let the mind be like a clear, still
lake - or like a steady, clear strong river, which is not: breaking its banks - through
training the attention, learning to use it in a more skilful. systematic and wise way.
deSire for sense-pleasures, turbulent - through ill-will, sluggish - through dullness
Indeed, the Buddha said that the two supports of spiritual development were system-
and drowsiness, stirred up by the wind - through restlessness and worry or mean-
atic attention and hearing the Dhamma from another person. Systematic attention
dering and directionless - through vacillation.
can be seen as a way of referring to meditation. In Samatha, attention is trained so as
to be able to remain steadily on one object, not being diverted by the hindrances. In
To return to the Dhammapada:
Vipassana attention is trained so as to stop overlooking the features of imperma-
nence, dukkha and not-Self in the objects that one normally grasps at.
By degrees, little by little, from time to time, a wise man should remove
his own impurities, as a smith removes the dross from silver.
Whatever harm afoe may do to afoe, or a hater to a hater.
an iU-directed mind can do one still greater harm. Just as a lake, deep, clear and still, even so, on hearing the teachings,
the wise become exceedingly peacefuL
Attention is that which engages the mind with an object or objects. Once this
happens, many habitual reactions will switch on - but, if attention is more skilful.
more wholesome reactions can occur. While unwise, unsystematic attention leads on
to lack of mindfulness, non-guarding the sense-doors, wrong conduct, and the hin-
drances, wise or systematic attention has the opposite effects. It very much depends
on the quality and nature of one's attention: sharp or fuzzy, vigilant or sleepy, focused
or diffuse and scattered. Accordingly, the tone of one's mind and body will vary.
Of course, to a fair extent, our attention is driven by our desires, inclinations and
past actions; but one can build up more skilful tendenCies and gradually increase
:,.:'
one's freedom of response.

Samatha 2 8 9 Samatha2
 Method and Inspiration
It is the tradition in Samatha that we begin by following a series of detailed in-
structions in meditation practice - say, for the first year or so. Thereafter, whilst
instruction and the search for further refinements to the practice continue, other
activities may also be introduced, adding new dimensions and helping to integrate
meditation with one's life as a whole. The relationship here is two-way: early experi-
ence of meditation gives life to, say, studying texts, which in turn provides a theoreti-
cal framework by which to understand more deeply and precisely the processes of
meditation and, in due course, to explain them to others. Following a meditation
exercise whilst digging the garden provides a context for meditation which is directly
analogous to everyday experience, a useful adjunct to the (essen-
tial) special time that one sets aside for formal sitting prac-
tice. Flexibility to move be- tween an inner and an
outer focus for practice will in time allow for both
tobeheldinmindsimul- <:_, taneously. As the
suttas say, we should ~ " develop mindfulness
(of body, of feeling, of mind, of dhamma
or law) internally, de- , ....... . velop mindfulness
externally, develop
nally and externally.
Another such ac-
usefully regarded as a
own right in that it re-
mindfulness and concen-
\'
....
.
I
,,,py.'.. ,.
~
mindfulness inter-

tivity is chanting -
form of practice in its
quires a balancing of
tration. For chanting
by a group of people to be- i • come integrated re-
quires that they follow the tone and volume set by
the leader. Too much at- tention to this, and one
may lose track of the words; excessive focus on
the words, particularly when following them from
a book, leads to loss of con- tact with the group. Follow-
ing the words is like allowing a thread to pass through the
hand, with sufficient control to prevent tangling but loose enough not to interrupt the
flow. As well as keeping to the words, the leader must also be alert to any changes in
the dynamic of the group - faltering confidence, or a sudden drop in volume as too
many people take breath simultaneously, can be corrected with timely extra support.
(Taking breath after long syllables which are not word endings helps to avoid the
latter problem.) Again, a process of balancing inward and outward attention is at
work.
Various groups and individuals within Samatha have introduced chants of dif-
ferent types and styles which we have sought to follow in the form in which they were

11 Samatha2
Samatha2 10
handed on to us. This has helped to preserve a sense of the richness of the different A breath ~ journey to the heart
chanting traditions that we have encountered - which, to date, include those of Cam-
bodia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma.
The 'iti pi so' verses were first taught to us by Ven. O. M. Candavanna in the
Cambodian style. This distinguishes between long and short syllables, and Ven. To come to the heart.
Candavanna was quite meticulous in ensuring that we knew which were which. In- Go. fmd a breath.
terestingly, common practice over the years has tended to blur these distinctions to
the point where many people are now either unsure of their application or have subtlely
Ride with it lightly.
shifted the balance. The short, clipped syllables have a quality of awakening - we Let it become subtler;
may say, on the side of insight (like an intake of cold air on a crisp winter's morning, Simpler.
exhilarating when the sun is shining); whereas the deeper resonances of long sylla-
Go further; draw back gently the curtains of mist.
bles have a power and warmth which envigorate the heart. Perhaps unsurprisingly
for a samatha group, we have tended to introduce more long syllables: NA - MO (short Let the day be warm.
- long) has become NAM - MO (long - long), BHA - GA - VA - TO (three shorts and a And the breath know its own paths.
long) has become BHAG - GA - VAT - TO (long - short - long - long) - though of course
Don'tfall away as the breath turns.
the desire for more of the 'pleasant' sounds is illusory as the chant relies upon the
interaction of long and short to create something more than the sum of the two. It is Neither move at speed nor go too slowly
equally true of chanting that greed is the near enemy of loving-kindness, and that the As one breath moves towards another.
joining of calm and insight is the path. The earliest chanters of these passages were,
Make the transition smooth,
after all, from an oral rather than a written tradition. What we find is not a strictly
formulaic structure to the chants but a joining of method and inspiration, sensitive to Go easy but not too much.
the balance of sounds that is being produced and awake to their effects. Explore the space but don't lose your bearings.
Pay attention.
Make the breathfiner; and still more.
Till there isjust breath, and no more.
Rest here and watch
Neither move away nor hold OTL
Have we come near?
How will we know.
if we haven't known before?
Is it a place? A perception? A state of being? A knowledge?
Is it hidden? Or do we hide from its brilliance?
The breath will know.
Let it show you.
The heart of the breath.
Purification of Citta

Samatha 2 12 13 Samatha2
 Fine Work Someone who is holding a sparrow in their hand has to take great care. They
mustn't hold it too tightly so that it suffocates, or too relaxed so that it flies away. If
In developing the practice, one of the ten 'skills in absorption' is being both reso- one is too tense - in any part of the practice, including settling - it does not have the
lute in concentration and in adapting the mind to situations. We can see these skills space to 'breathe' and live. If one is too laid back, it will have no sustaining food so
particularly in the work in settling. A series of similes are traditionally given to de- that the attention flies away to find food elsewhere!
scribe the subtle balance that is needed. In all cases, what is needed is a balanced effort!
A bee, if either too early or late, will fail to collect the nectar - either the flowers
will not yet have opened, or other bees will have taken it. If we move too soon from
touching to settling before a nimitta has developed sufficiently, there may be too little
to concentrate on. Staying in touching too long, however, may mean there is insuf- an image or reflection of the breath created by the
nimitta -
fiCient energy for working on the nimitta in settling. mind which arises as a result of mindfulness of breathing.
Someone who is seeking to cut a pat- tern in a floating lotus leaf, and is too bold,
cuts the leaf in two or makes it sink. . One who is too timid does not cut it at
"',•
all, from concern over avoiding these /l~, mistakes. This can be related to the
way the mind responds to the " nimitta: too bold and it may be
knocked away or dissolved, ~. holding back too much , it
may fall away and wilt.
Imagine trying to
........
."" roll up a sticky spider's
~\ .J"Oto..
... ..,.,., ;
web. We might roll it too fast so that the , .La i"rrrJl':]
thread breaks, or too t~~~~~~
\ slowly so that it is not
~
t.::~..-i~.r::1F~
pulled away from the
the nimitta, being too
tensify or stabilise it,
tion with it. Without
,,
web. In working with
forceful in trying to in-
will break the connec-
sufficient encouraging
~~
.,
,;,.I.~.J...,.

..

attention, the 'link' to " the nimitta is lost and it

.,
IS not drawn out.
, "
''''..,
~

../~.......
\ ,." .....................
j

The skill of a yachtsman \ '" who is letting out sail: not let-
ting out a full sail in a high wind, or tak- " ing in sail in a light wind, other-
wise the craft will go out of control, or not \ move at all. Having a full sail in a
high wind is like trying too hard, too in- tensely. One needs to relax one's
approach, to stand back a little: but not too much! If the nimitta improves on
leaving the settling, there has probably been too much trying. A way to remedy this
is, after a time in settling, to pretend it is now 'time to leave', and to notice the effects.
Or actually to leave, and if the nimitta improves, gently return to settling.
If someone is seeking to win a prize by pouring oil from a container into a narrow-
necked bottle, without spilling any, and is too eager to win, the oil gets spilled. If too
concerned about not spilling any then nothing gets poured. When we are overly
expectant or demanding of success in settling we become clumsy and this can lead to
a loss in confidence. But when we are too timid, holding back from the unknown, not
letting the nimitta develop as it will, in what might seem a 'messy' way, then the
practice does not develop as it might.

Samatha 2 14 15 Samatha2
 Na Van: an introduction
Okasa!
namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa
namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa
namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammasambuddhassa
With this awareness of fonn and meaning some characters themselves become
yan. as in the whole series of NAyan based on the Khmer character ~ (USing the
old khom script for NA) which has come to have the sense of essence. The fonn of
the character itself is related to the development of the embryo. or more specifically
the re-development of meditation.

i_
f L Lr
:\,gy
o ~Na
~r

'1
exs-
Tantra. mantra and yantra (pali yanta. Thai yan) are words with an evocative NA 'Great Popularity' NA 'Karuna' NA 'Lord' NA 'Can't Remember'
edge. They immediately arouse interest, and they are also inextricably linked together.
Tantra. from the root tan to extend. means an elaboration. as for example a text
dealing with a samatha technique: and mantra. from the root man mind. has the Some NAyan illustrate ideas; some aspects of technique. particularly when con-
sense of gUiding or binding the mind. A yantra. the lesser-known term. from the cerned with movement of energy in practice; and others are just plain humorous.
root yam to support. is a supporting device or technique. with a quality of precision. These are a few examples from hundreds.
The supports might be as simple. but still precise. as the strings of a puppet [as in
the beautiful puppet (diiru-yanta) simile in the Visuddhimaggal. or extremely subtle
as in the case of the mental supports of a visualization.

~
Yantras are particularly relevant to the samatha meditator since they deal with
subtle form. the creative realm responsible for 'that which. previously unknown.
comes to be known'. for genius and magic.
Yan of SE Asia are generally much simpler than northern-Buddhist mandalas:
they have a linear form and usually include syllables as part of the yan. Lines are
drawn in a single fluid stroke and the characters 'placed' with intention and awareness. NA 'Buddha' NA 'Boisterous' NA 'Mahathera's NA 'Sangha' NA 'Noble Elder'
They may be drawn on paper. cloth (usually robe cloth). silver or gold foil. or as stick'
tattoos.

NAYan
Buddhism was originally an oral tradition and when characters came to be used
to write down teachings they themselves became objects or forms containing meaning.
and written texts were (and are) regarded with reverence. The gift of a sutta written
on palm leaves was accorded the highest respect as an act of merit. The gift of the
entire set of books of the tipitika by one of our own members, which has now been
installed in the library of the Samatha Centre. is a similar act.
BUDDHO ~'5!
Mental repetition of Buddho linked to the breath is one of the oldest fonns of
iiniipiinasati practised in SE Asia. As one of the characters of NA MO BU DDHA YA
(to be discussed later). BU corresponds to the element fire and the aggregate of
perception. In the Khmer tradition it also corresponds to the 'six silas in the citta'.
This phrase refers to one of the four purifications of sila. that of 'restraint of the
senses' (Nyanatiloka. 1991. Buddhist Dictionary):

Samatha2 16 17 Samatha2
 Whenever the monk perceives a form with the eye, a sound with the ear, A Riddle
an odour with the nose, a taste with the tongue, an impression with the
body, an object with the mind, he neither adheres to the appearance as
a whole, nor to its parts. And he strives to ward off that through which What did we cry to greet at the first time
evil and unwholesome things, greed and sorrow, would arise if he But would do anything now to keep
remained with unguarded senses: and he watches over his senses, guards What is more precious than diamonds and rubies
his senses. A constant visitor when we are asleep?
(Majjhima Nikaya, sutta 38) \ What do we love to let go of, and welcome again,
which is a description of the approach to jhiina. Take quite for granted but clutch when in pain?
Although not commonly described in this way, the khom character for BU q
could be used to represent the breath body because of its distinctive expansive form: What gasps at our weakness
sighs our delight
Catches in laughter

,
but leaves at our fright?

What has seen everything

Knows all we are
Is there in all trouble
and never goes far?
NA 'Buddha' NA 'Layers of Buddha'

For it always come back to us, hiddenfrom sight,

As the in-breath (BU) becomes more subtle, the meditator may notice a still-
rising 'inner in-breath', follOwing the fading away of the 'outer in-breath'. This subtle
breath leads into the nimitta ofDDHO which resonates as O. In this way the 'form'
of the breath is discerned by the meditator.
Here is a similarity to the 'one-way' breathing sometimes practised in our own
samatha tradition (and alluded to in The Path oj Lanka), and to Tibetan 'vase-
breathing' .
to feed and protect us - through black spots and bright.
passes all boundaries andfills earth and sky
It
But its beauty is closeness; its truth does not lie
For it keeps us aU separate, yet makes us all one:
Th
> The source of all mystery, trouble - andjun.

So where do you start and where do you end

* * * Our teacher; and cleaner; inspirer; bestfriend?
Many yan have multiple meanings depending on their use and the whim of the
You've given us everything; what can we give?
teacher, but they include a balance of name and form. As mentioned earlier, the For you'U keep us aU going as long as we live . ..
term yan implies a quality of precision: the balance of samatha with discrimination.
Without discrimination samatha can lead to a profusion of 'tantras' (and 'models' in
general); but when the exuberance (piti) of practice is tamed with discrimination, .~.
both samatha and vipassana may be fulfilled together. To be continued .... •
Samatha2 18 lQ Samatha2
 Many years ago, I became aware
that my frame of reference, my view of
the world (including me) was unsatis-
A Question of factory. Somehow it didn't fit. It didn't

~~k or Judgment account for the most important things:

the deepest feelings, the darkest
doubts, the strongest urges, the
strangest yearnings; the miraculous
spontaneous transformations of na-
l ture; the rare moments of instantaneous self-and-other knowledge; the awful sense of a
vastness from which I wasn't separate. My view, my frame of reference, that didn't -

JJof couldn't - account for these things felt artifiCial, constructed, unreal - and so did I.
I took up the daily practice of meditation. I studied philosophy, attended groups,

" undertook intensive work on mindfulness and self-transformation. I was aware that
in doing this, I was adopting a different view, a different framework, one which con-
flicted with my normal view. Often this gave rise to uncertainty, pain, embarrass-
ment.

z 1 Something worked. I became more confident, happier, more balanced. I felt I

had gained insight into myself and into the events going on around me. I gave up

~
several bad habits. The outer form of my life became less random and chaotic: it felt
more of a whole. The old dis-ease about my framework had gone.
~ One day, a realisation occurred. It had been waiting to occur for a while, poised to
spring like a predator in the long grass around the clearing of consciousness. I now

/../' ""
-..qol
possessed a turbo-powered, laser-driven, multi-dimensional, precision-focused frame
of reference. It worked! I could see everything clearly! Of course there were loose
ends at the edges of vision, but the framework actually accounted for everything, and
9<,:
what it didn't account for was down to my lack of application: the tools, the concepts
C-
built into this frame of reference would make sense of these incongruities if I worked
~ ~t.'i~(,~~7
~c· 'w.vr._"(/~~ at it.

&~ M. ()-\.\.
The realisation was that I was even more deeply imprisoned by the new frame-
work than I had been by the old one. In escaping from the trap I had built a bigger
/,e. t..J e. {(
"-..J
J" '- ().j and better trap for myself.
My new framework explained, or purported to explain, everything. But the de-
mon that had sprung from the bushes insistently demanded whether that was really
so. And I had to admit that really, it didn't explain, that the casual chain always
vanished into an unquestionable point, that the Big Idea behind it all was just that-
a big idea. The world's pains and woes, its aches and questionings - and my own-
remained real. The unsatisfactOriness, which I thought I had defeated, was still there,
down at the root of everything.
Is this just a spiritualised version of our old friend the mid-life crisis? No, or at
least - not just. lt's the raw material of the path, it's the wheel turning: as Right

Samatha2
20
21 Samatha2
 ality-interpreting and reality-creating devices, devices we choose on the basis of

I
View - valid and useful in its moment - becomes dogma and rigidity (Wrong View) if
one tries to hold on to it. motivations that remain invisible until and unless meditation and mindfulness bring
The awareness that my NEW! IMPROVED! frame of reference was a bigger and them to light.
Meditation undermines these distorting devices. Mindfulness bringS them to the
better trap made me restless and uncomfortable. There were two responses. One was
surface. Study shows them up for what they are. But each such victory becomes a
to plunge deeper into meditation practice - to seek the darkness, the edge of the
defeat the moment it is recognised as a Victory, giving rise to the need for another
known, where something new could arise that might unlock the prison doors. The
letting-go, another attempt to reach for wholeness, another sacrifice.
other was to pursue individual aspects of philosophy without too much concern for
the big picture. If the Big Picture was a trap, perhaps pursuing separate parts would
escape it.
In one sense, neither of these approaches worked. I already knew, but proved it
to myself again, that meditation does not change on its own independently of the rest
of one's life. It's possible to know you are approaching the edge of the known world
....
~

Without returning with any new insight into the nature of things. And the pursuit of
knowledge of features of the world like 3-some-ness (three root motivations, sick-
nesses, medicines, forces, aspects of the divine) didn't change the framework.
But perhaps both these efforts did loosen the grip the framework exerted on the
way I perceived, understood, felt, saw, knew the world-and-myself. I felt there was the
possibility of a shift occurring. Studying, practising meditation, I began to realise that
I knew less about how the world is and about what happens deep in the mind that I
had assumed that I knew. It was only later that I realised that this was the shift, the
change in view I had been looking for. Because it hadn't involved thunderbolts or
Great InSights, it had happened without my noticing it.
Buddhist teaching contains plenty of antidotes to the attachment of view - at- Q • ". ~., • ~ /y' / • .::.-

<,.~ \ '\ (
tachment being what turns Right View, the stuff you need to step onto the path to '. '0/'
\ \'," 17 /b
,\ • • i, I 'I '
liberation in the first place, into Wrong View. The higher teachings in its philosophy i (. (--- •
and psychology are based on multiple perspectives. There is no one correct, absolute '- .~.).
viewpoint - and there can't be. The different viewpoints are incommensurable, and
intentionally so. Seeing things in terms of the twelvefold causation pattern of co-
" ') '( \.
dependent origination is incompatible with the perspective of the six sense-bases to
which consciousness attaches itself from moment to moment the perspective of the
human organism of the five elements doesn't map onto the viewpoint of the same
organism seen in terms of the five aggregates.
" Jl~:\' ~-......- ..--
Buddhist teachings teach, but don't tell you they're doing so, that there is no
Great Perfect System of Knowledge. There are only these multiple perspectives, each Purification of View
of which contributes to Right View - but only in the instant, and only if one doesn't
hold onto it. Holding on is guaranteed to lock the door of insight and prevent the
arising of wisdom, which could be described as the doing of knowledge while letting go
of the idea that there is a knowledge one can hold onto.
In enlightened Buddha-consciousness, all these multiple perspectives are tran-
scended. All forms are void of content, so there is only one thing: enlightened Bud-
dha-consciousness. But one's personal framework again and again incorporates re-

samatha2
23
Samatha2 22
 Understanding, abandoning, experiencing
and bringing into being
Tradition tells us that soon after his awakening the Buddha summed up what
had happened as he sat beneath the tree of awakening in terms of the arising in him
of a particular vision. knowledge. wisdom. understanding. clarity concerning four
things. namely suffering. its cause. its cessation. and the way leading to its cessation;
moreover that vision. knowledge. wisdom. understanding and clarity had three di-
mensions to it in each case:
he was clear as to the nature of suffering;
he was clear that suffering must be fully understood;
he was clear that he had fully understood suffering;
he was clear as to the nature of the cause of suffering;
he was clear that the cause must be abandoned;
he was clear that he had abandoned the cause;
he was clear as to the nature of the cessation of suffering;
he was clear that that cessation must be directly experienced;
he was clear that he had directly experienced that cessation;
he was clear as to the nature of the way leading to the cessa-
tion of suffering;
he was clear that way must be brought into being;
he was clear that he had brought that way into being.
do so at precisely those times they would not be able to return our gaze ...
It is hard not to tum and flee in the face of pain, disappointment and suffering.
Indeed it is natural. Indeed this is why we begin to look for some refuge, for safety. for
escape. In seeking a refuge we acknowledge the reality of Pain. dissatisfaction. un-
ease. suffering; and in that acknowledgement there is a quiet faith that something can
be done: there is suffering but we do not need to always run from it; in fact this fear is
its food. what gives it its power. There is a point of stillness that is brought into being
here; a point of stillness that can be nurtured.
In the very act of turning towards our dissatisfaction. to what disturbs us, to
what troubles us. to what scares us - whether it is some deep pain or just the dis-
comfort in our legs or the dullness of our minds as we sit - in the very act of turning
towards that, we for a moment see that it is just an aspect of the way in which things
come and go. the way in which things rise and fall. one thing always leading to the
next _ nothing special. The in-breath and the out-breath. And yet in that moment if
we watch carefully in the stillness we might notice that what troubles us is gone. has
ceased. The cessation of suffering is not something we can manufacture. contrive, or
bring about it is simply something there before our senses to be experienced: to be
seen and heard; something which we can only silently witness. As if when all sounds
subside we suddenly hear the silence; as if when all that there is to be seen has
vanished we finally see the light.
Witnessing this strengthens something. changes us. brings something into
being; we are no longer the same. We have glimpsed the way.

In so far as he had not been clear about these four things he had counted himself
unawakened; in so far as he was now clear about those same four things he was now
awakened. Tradition also suggests that to be clear about anyone of these four things
is to be clear about all four.
In order to get to know something or someone we must spend time with them.
familiarize ourselves with their ways. be patient, avoid hasty judgements and not
jump to conclusions. And yet. although our lives may bring numerous chances for
getting better acquainted with what we regard as unpleasant and what we find pain-
ful. we would rather not; when we see them coming. we try to look the other way. we
cross the street to avoid a meeting. we panic and tum and run; unfortunately they
can usually run faster; they overtake us or jump out on us when we come round the
comer. Of course. sometimes when they get hold of us it is no laughing matter; they
can frighten us to the very core of our being and leave us feeling desperate and bro-
ken. Those are the times it is hardest to look them in the eye. But perhaps if we could

C'I _ _ _ +t..._ I"}

Samatha2 ,,<:
24

Rn Rssignment for Sam Uieara. State Inuestigator
Episode 2 - 'Seuenteen frames'
THE STORY SO FAR: His task
was simple, to track down
Citta. Some said meeting her
was like a slug in the guts, oth-
ers like a pleasant thrill. All
in all, one complex dame.
It could have been any hotel room in downtown Sankharaville.
Except maybe she was there.
It was late when he got the tip-off from Gina Vitakka. "A good
kid," he thought. "persistent. Always directing my atention to some-
thing or other."
It was dark in the linen-closet. Through the crack in the back
Sam could see the room beyond, dimly lit. He felt the snout of the
cine camera, checking it, then ran his fmger round his collar. Sweat-
ing' uncomfortable, he waited.
It was a long night. Then a long day waiting for the positives.
Anxiously he ran the film through the viewer. Nothing! Well, almost
nothing. Just a long succession of streaks and swirls, like the steam
in a Turkish bath, or the smoke from Fourth of July fireworks. Sam
slowed down the scanner to watch frame by frame. He narrowed
his eyes. There was something. Maybe some kind of moving figure.
But still too hazy to figure out.
Sam called Jack Samadhi, sometime partner of the incorrupt-
ible Joe Sati. Joe said he was great at focusing on a problem. And
also that you wouldn't believe, if you needed him, how fast he could
get there.
'TIl take you through frame by frame,' said Sam. He held the
first frame while Jack peered in the scanner.
'Td say she's lying down resting," Jack said. "If that figure in
white is really her. Take a look."
Sam looked. He hadn't been sure, but now there did seem to
be a figure. He flicked to the second frame. It was even more blurred
than the first.
Samatha 2 26
"It's like something made the room vibrate," was Jack's com-
ment.
In the third frame, they both thought, the vague figure seemed
to quit resting and sit up. Sam flicked to the fourth and Jack
whistled.
See that?" he exclaimed.
"Just a flash of white," said Sam. "How come she moves so
fast?"
"Headed for the door," said Jack. 'Well, one of the doors.
Look at the fifth frame. She seems to be turning the handle."
In the sixth frame it was like the door was open and she
reached out for something. But what? Sam flicked on to frame
seven and eight.
"Holy smoke," grunted Jack.
'What's happening to her?" Sam asked. "If only we could see
clearly."
"She seems to have grown huge, like the room just ....
wasn't there."
Sam mopped his forehead while Jack Samadhi peered at
frames nine through fifteen.
"She's still a blur," Jack said hoarsely. 'What the .... Sam,
she's changing colour. And she's left some kind of track."
They looked at two more frames. Quite suddenly the figure
was at rest again - but in a different part of the room. And
dressed in blue instead of white.
"Listen," said Jack. "Sorry, but I have to go."
When he left Sam struck his palm against his forehead. What
would he tell his client? They'd spent who knows how long exam-
iningjust seventeen frames. Seventeen frames that. played at full
speed, would occupy the click of a finger.
Even in slow motion the dame moved like lightning. This was
going to be one heck of an investigation ...
To be continued
In order to see (or hear etc) the mind goes through a process Involving seventeen
a
distinct stages. For more information. consult experience - or the Abhidhamm .
Vitakka - Bringing to mind
Citta - Heart/Mind Viciira - Examining
Sailkhiira - Formations/Habits
Samiidhi - Concentration Sati - Mindfulness
Samatha 2
27
 ~
Treading the Path ~ c::::J c::::J
The fourth one provides inner and outer freedom, stillness, a sUence cool and
spaciouS, an active receptivity, directly in touch with wisdom of the time as all the
with resting places doors are purified with free flow. Can there be danger here too? Of course, as we can
see 'too much' and fix it into the mind, without contact with the softness of the heart.
There is suffering, and the pull to be away from it - to not let it touch us. Ces- Balance between knowledge and being is necessary.
Then there are finer spaces to rest in, spacious, in which to completely explore
sation of this comes from going to where it touches us without grabbing or pulling
every aspect from the centre to the boundaries of form. We can travel to these limits,
away. All this can only be if we tread the way carefully.
but, we must take care! The free flight still needs the thread of love. We can realise
Take walking practice: take one step at a time; in order to move to the next, first
being free but if we lose the love, we are no longer free and may feel lonely instead.
balance on the one before. To let go of that one, we need to be fully present in it first.
Longing will then crash us to the base!
It is the same with the practice, life or the path - to let each moment touch us before
The main guide seems to be, to keep treading, to rest and nourish from time to
going to the next. In this way we are being with things as they are.
time and look back to recollect. If there is clear knowledge of it all and a deep warmth
So long as we tread the path, it will stay open for us. If we only huny to find the
of ~ with everything, whole and wholehearted, then that's alright. We can carry
end, we'll forget to tread with care. So, if the heart knows the direction, we are able to
on resting, exploring, searching deeper each time so that we can know the first Truth
keep treading. Also, we need resting places on the way, to gather strength, courage
without running away from it. It's up to each one of us to make the journey as best we
and wisdom to cany on, and to reassure ourselves of the direction and its relation to
can, but we can remember the refuge of other wayfarers who we meet on the way, to
the whole. Faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom wake up every time
share and to tread the path with from time to time.
there is a moment of freedom from hindrances and of being fully with the path. When
these five balance, there is a resting place of jhana, refreshingly alert with a pliable,
upright, bright mind. Bathing in the tenderness and strength of this will help to let
pain and pleasure touch us and yet to let them go.
If we can get out of the way of trying to stop change, then no suffering occurs.
But how can we do this? One way is to get in touch with the inner centre supported
by the balance of the five faculties - where knowledge of each resting place is.
At the first one, we can rest and gaze, explore, know the curtains of the doors of
the senses, their protection and the contentment from being within. Immense faith
and steadiness come; and with this of course, some danger - if we rest here too long!
Then they can become tinged with over-confidence so that the interest and investiga-
tion can lead us to feel 'I know' this and that.
The second one is the moment of being in harmony with the flow of energy. We
can step into it and merge with it. Then there will be no barriers; but we must beware
of the misuse of energy, of longing for it and of 'stealing' it in situations where there is
an abundance of it. We need to distinguish inner and outer so that only the inner
sources are used to supply this joyful energy.
The third place is that of inner unification through the purification of the sources
of energy: no doubt here! - simply freedom from longing for excitement or high states.
In this blissful awareness there is freedom from the sensory world and a new source of
purified sensation of a higher taste flows in. This can open the way to intuitive wis-
dom, soft and strong; but with the danger of losing one's own limits, of wanting to
become one with this blissfulness. So we can misuse 'love' and humility and respect.
We need to know how much to give or take in any situation - to have a sensitivity to
the needs of self and others.

29 Samatha2
Samatha2 28
 Blessing

.•:-:..ij~ §,.'(%:}a.'WI;~,~'., ~~~

",,:J m
!8!

May your generosity be unstinting, like a spring not blocked or dry

May your restraint be reassuring, like a fence that's not too high.
:~;:

~ May you find joy in letting go as salmon leap up against the hour
May your wisdom flow like milk that does not curdle or go sour.

..~~~s.,e.\e.~~10
-- .~
May your strength be of the tigress, resting stored until it finds prey
May you endure with cheerful humour as the mountains do each day.

May your truthfulness taste of itself, refreshing like wild mint

May you not shrink scared from conflict, and the sparks that fly off flint.
o&
~ar~\e.<OVl!.1O
May your motives be for peace, as trapped birds escaping from a shed
~e.J\...e.'(\R.. >'P'~ of ~"'5 ....
May your thinking fit the moment and not be cold or dead.
~i.1t4lli&1t'·1ht~'~·
~'&.~
May you be steady in your listening for the sea-notes in the sound
and steer within the silence where music may be found.

May you like the joy of others and and not feel fear at their delight

.... ~
and may you never make a shadow on another person's light .

And may you then stand all content like the mellow oak tree
and pay back all your debts as streams return into the sea.

But when you just cannot seem to do anyone of these ...

Then may you be well and happy
And let others also be.

31 Samatha2
Samatha2 30
 An Mterword
There is an old story about a group of blind men trying to discover what an
elephant was. They each explored the part they could reach. and not being able to see ~.

-
the whole animal. came to very different conclusions about it. One thought it had the i

--
thickness of an arm but was very long. another that it was about four outstretched
palms in extent with the thickness of one, a third thought it had the girth of a man's
body and the height of a boy and so on. So each man had a different picture of the
elephant.
Imagine the situation if this group of blind men had been friends who went on to
e_a
discuss their fmdings. Each one, trusting the others discovery, would realise that
there was more to this elephant than they had thought. They might check out the
parts described by the others and so end up with a larger and more realistic idea of
what an elephant was like. THE SAMATHA TRUST
This seems a good analogy of how one might read, and write for, Samatha. It is
hard to imagine an article which could give the whole picture of the practice or any
The Trust was founded in 1973 with the aim of
other aspect of the Buddha's teaching. Nevertheless, each one describes a part of it as encouraging and supporting the tradition of Samatha:
seen from a particular vantage point. Reading something written from a view other a form of Buddhist practice which awakens inner
than our usual one can help us to expand our understanding and perhaps give us stillness, a base for clarity and understanding.
clues about a new direction to follow. Of course, none of the articles should be taken Samatha classes are held around the country and
to be an 'officialline' - if such a thing exists! - but as something to think about and residential courses are offered at our national centre in
to help us towards a larger view of the elephant. Wales. For further details contact:

The Samatha Trust

Greenstreete
Llangunllo
Powys
LD71SP

The Samatha Trust is a registered charity (No.

266367) and relies on donations for its income.

P.S. Discussion, disagreement with and development of contributions are always

welcome.

Samatha2 Samatha2
32