The Necessity to Practice Right Concentration

(The second of three Dhamma discourses given in Yangon, Myanmar, December 2004, during the World Summit on the Buddha's teachings. Adapted for the newsletter)

Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa

Most Venerable Saṅgha and Dhamma friends:
When we see the entire spiritual history of India, it becomes very clear that some aspects of Dhamma were already known before the Buddha’s enlightenment.

Sīla was not something new that the Buddha gave to the world. There were teachers who were teaching and practicing Sīlaeven before the Buddha, at the time of the Buddha, and after the Buddha. The Buddha elaborated on the practice of Sīla and the wisdom behind the practice of Sīla.

The Buddha taught a method to find out for oneself at the experiential level why one should practise Sīla: One cannot break any precept without first generating some negativity or the other in the mind. One also realizes by proper practice how one is actually first harming oneself by generating negativities like anger, hatred, animosity etc.

By equanimously observing one's negativities at the level of body sensations, one easily comes out of unwholesome behaviour patterns of the mind at the root level. Then one starts living a life of Sīla, good for oneself and good for others. Thus the entire path taught by the Buddha is on the basis of paññā. Sīla helps paññā and paññā helps Sīla. The Buddha said that just as one washes hands by rubbing one with the other, likewise Sīla and paññā purify each other.

There were so many different kinds of samādhi practised at the time of the Buddha. Even before the Buddha, people practiced samādhi. The Bodhisatta, the ascetic prince Siddhattha, went to ¾cariya ¾¼āra Kālāma and ¾cariya Uddaka Rāmaputta to learn the seventh jhāna and the eighth jhāna respectively. This means that jhānas were being practised and taught at that time. samādhi did not originate with the Buddha. But the Buddha turned the existing practices of samādhi into sammā- samādhi. What was just a lokiya-samādhi, he turned into lokuttara-samādhi: samādhi that leads one towards the goal of liberation was the unique contribution of the Buddha.

As preparatory exercise for Vipassana, the Buddha mostly taught ¾nāpāna Sati (ānāpānassati)—observing the respiration, as it is. The ascetic prince Siddhattha found out that all the other samādhis, as well as the most severe penances, did not eradicate all suffering. He then discovered the middle path. He remembered that as a child he had once practised awareness of respiration under a tree while his friends, relatives and attendants were engrossed in festivities. It had brought him much peace and joy. Now choosing the middle path, he embarked on the journey to liberation, by starting with the awareness of natural respiration. Thus Anapana has a very special place in samādhi taught by the Buddha.

I learnt Anapana Sati from my teacher Sayagyi U Ba Khin. I experienced how respiration is a bridge between the conscious and the unconscious mind, and between voluntary and involuntary processes of the body. The breath is like a bridge between mind and matter.

Anapana Sati requires us to remain aware of the breath on the area below the nostrils and above the upper lip. It is one-pointed concentration of the mind at the middle of the upper lip—uttaroṭṭhassa vemajjhappadeso.

My teacher taught me to observe the breath as it is—yathā-bhūta, with no verbalization, no visualization and no imagination. The breath as it is; as it comes in, as it goes out. He told me that Anapana Sati was not a breathing exercise. It was different from prāṇāyāma where we control the breath.

My teacher emphasized natural respiration as the object of concentration— breath, mere breath, bare breath, nothing but breath, breath as it is; as it naturally comes in, as it naturally goes out.

The entire teaching of the Buddha is to directly experience the truth (yathā-bhūta).Nothing created or artificial (yathā-kata), nothing imaginary (yatha-kappita), not merely speculative (yathā-cintita). It is experience of the truth or reality as it is— starting from gross truths such as awareness of natural respiration to the ultimate truth of nibbāna. From the apparent gross truth, paññatti, to the ultimate truth, paramattha-sacca.

Idha, bhikkhave, bhikkhu araññagato vā rukkhamūlagato vā suññāgāragato vā nisīdati pallaṅkaṃ ābhujitvā ujuṃ kāyaṃ paṇidhāya parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā. So satova assasati, satova passasati. Dīghaṃ vā assasanto dīghaṃ assasāmī'ti pajānāti, dīghaṃ vā passasanto dīghaṃ passasāmī'ti pajānāti. Rassaṃ vā assasanto rassaṃ assasāmī'ti pajānāti, rassaṃ vā passasanto rassaṃ passasāmī'ti pajānāti. Sabbakāyapaṭisaṃvedī assasissāmī'ti - - - passasissāmī'ti sikkhati. Passambhayaṃ kāyasaṅkhāraṃ assasissāmī'ti - - - passasissāmī'ti sikkhati. Samudayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati, vayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati, samudayavayadhammānupassī vā kāyasmiṃ viharati.

If the breath is deep, it is deep. If it is shallow, it is shallow. Do not interfere with the natural breath. Just observe. Do nothing. It is mere observation, bare observation. It is like a person sitting on the bank of a river and observing the flow of the river without interfering with it in anyway. In Indian languages today it is called taṭastha, literally, sitting on the bank of the river.

By using verbalization or visualization, the mind gets concentrated relatively easily. But the purpose of the Buddha's teaching is not merely to concentrate the mind, but to purify the mind with practice of Vipassana. For this, observation of the natural breath is necessary to make the mind very sharp.

Observing the natural breath is a universal practice. Breath is breath, not a Hindu breath, a Muslim breath or a Christian breath. Thus Anapana becomes universal.

Using images or words, even words that are not sectarian, is a hindrance to samma sammādhi. The mind concentrated on any created object will soon be immersed in it, and lose awareness of the reality of the breath, as it is.

The Buddha wanted us to observe the breath as it is—yathā-bhūta. No regulation of the breath. Otherwise, the attention gets diverted to this created 'reality', and not the truth of the reality as it is.

Hence, the Buddha emphasized that the object of concentration must be natural breath—as it comes in naturally, as it goes out naturally. So sato va assasati, so sato va passasati.

If breath is going through the right nostril, then observe that it is going through the right nostril. If it is going through the left nostril, then observe that it is going through the left nostril. When it passes through both the nostrils, then observe the flow through both the nostrils. Do not interfere with the natural flow of the breath. Then you are working according to the instructions of the Enlightened One. You have to keep in mind that your aim is to feel the natural breath. However soft it is, however subtle it is, you must be able to feel it.

The purpose of practicing awareness of the natural breath is for the mind to be made sensitive enough to reach the next step: observing bodily sensations, i.e, the practice of Vipassana.

The Enlightened One has given very clear instructions. In Paṭisambhidāmagga, he says that you must be aware of: 1. the incoming breath, 2. the outgoing breath, and 3. mukha—the area above the mouth. He calls it mukhanimitte.

A carpenter using a saw to cut wood is an apt simile. He first looks at the entire length of the saw, but as the whole saw moves, he only concentrates on the point where the saw is touching the wood. Similarly, one is first aware of the incoming and outgoing breath, and then one concentrates on the area where the breath is touching (the entrance of nostrils, or the area below the nostrils and above the upper lip).

The Buddha clearly explains what mukhanimitte means in Paṭisambhidāmagga and in Vibhaṅga: it means the area in front of the nose, at the entrance of the nostrils-. nāsikagge. Then he says:

uttaroṭṭhassa vemajjhimappadeso. uttara means above; oṭṭha is lip; and vemajjimappadeso is the middle portion. In Satipaṭṭhāna, the Buddha says parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā. Sati means awareness; parimukhaṃ means the area above the lips. Establish your awareness here.

Nimittaṃ assāsapassāsā, anārammaṇamekacittassa. Jānato ca tayo dhamme, bhāvanā upa labbhatīti… … Bhikkhu nāsikagge vā mukhanimitte vā satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā nisinno hoti, na āgate vā gate vā assāsapassāse manasikaroti, na āgatā vā gatā vā assāsapassāsā aviditā honti. Ayaṃ sati upaṭṭhitā hoti supaṭṭhitā nāsikagge vā mukhanimitte vā. Tena vuccati "parimukhaṃ satiṃ upaṭṭhapetvā"ti.

By continuous practice of Anapana, we realize why the Buddha chose this small area at the entrance of the nostrils and above the upper lip. The incoming breath and the outgoing breath must pass over this area. The Buddha chose an area that works for everyone— nāsikagge, uttaroṭṭhassa vemajjhimappadeso.

The Buddha does not want you to imagine that the breath is coming in or going out. You must actually feel it. When you pay attention, you can feel the touch of the breath somewhere in this area.

For a new student, we say even if you feel the breath inside the nostrils, it is all right. But ultimately you have to work in this smaller area below the nostrils. Why? Because for samādhi, one-pointed concentration of the mind (cittassa ekaggatā) is essential. This becomes very clear through direct experience, as you progress on the path.

To further sharpen and concentrate the mind, one must be clearly aware of the subtler reality, i.e. the subtler breath. Of course, when the mind is wandering too much, you are allowed to take a few deliberate breaths, but then as soon as possible, within a few minutes, you must come back to observing the natural breath. And as your mind gets concentrated, the breath will become softer, subtler. You won’t have to make any effort. It happens naturally.

Sometimes, the breath becomes so short that it seems as if immediately after it comes out it makes a U-turn and returns inside. It becomes so fine, like a thin thread.

The smaller the area of awareness, the sharper the mind becomes. The sharp, sensitive mind soon starts feeling sensations in this area below the nostrils. The purpose of Anapana samādhi, is to take the next step of Vipassana.

The Buddha taught in a very gradual, systematic manner: start on a small area with the natural breath. The mind calms down, and the breath becomes subtler. Observing the subtler breath makes the mind sharp enough to feel sensations. Students in Vipassana courses all over the world start feeling sensations by the second or third day. This is a universal experience.

With sensations too, one moves from gross sensations to observing subtler sensations, during Vipassana practice. The Buddha’s teaching takes one from olarikoi to sukhumā (from gross to subtler realities), and to the subtlest reality pertaining to mind and matter. Then one experiences the reality beyond mind and matter.

Working with the natural breath is actually being with the reality pertaining to nāma (mind) and rūpa (matter). Breath is related to both mind and matter. Initially it looks as if it is related only to rūpa; that it is a mere physical function. With Anapana you experience the actual truth of how closely the breath is connected with mind.

When observing the breath, you are also simultaneously observing the mind. How often the mind wanders away! You observe just two or three breaths and the mind wanders away. You again bring the mind back. Again it wanders away. You realize how much the mind is fickle, unstable, weak- always wandering in the past, or future. But it does not stay in the present moment. You keep trying. The mind again rolls in some past memory, or in some imagination of the future. You are asked not to feel frustrated, to remain patient.

Sometimes, angry thoughts arise in the mind: “So-and-so insulted me. So-and-so hurt me.” With anger, you notice that your breath is no longer normal. It has become hard, fast, and has lost its normalcy. When the anger passes away, again the breath becomes normal. Similarly, you see how the breath loses normalcy when the mind is filled with passion, fear or some other defilement.

Thus by observing your natural breath, you also observe your mind. You have taken the first steps to understanding the entire phenomena of mind and matter: how mind and matter are inter-connected, how mind influences matter and how the matter starts influencing the mind.

Now your understanding of mind-matter phenomena is at the experiential level. By observing the breath, you start to feel some sensation or the other in the small area below the nostril. You are asked to observe the sensation without reacting to it.

If the sensation is itching, you are asked to observe it; not to scratch it. Just observe how long it lasts. It may become stronger for sometime, but sooner or later it passes away. No itching is eternal! It arises to pass away. It is the same with any other sensation such as heat or cold or vibration etc. One is asked to just observe, do nothing. One has started to change the habit pattern of the mind of constant blind reaction.

Thus, one starts the work of paññā, of Vipassana, during Anapana Sati itself. Wherever there is life, which means wherever nāma and rūpa are present, there is bodily sensation. This is the law of nature. When the nāma (mind) is disassociated from the body, the body is dead. So wherever there is nāma, there is life. Phassa-paccayā vedanā—whenever any external object in life comes in contact with the respective sense organ, a flow of sensations arises and passes away in the body.

We experience how the aim of the Buddha's teaching is not to merely concentrate the mind, but to purify the mind and experience real happiness. Then we understand the importance of Anapana Sati as the practice of right samādhi (right concentration).

To purify the mind and come out of all suffering, one practices paññā, i.e the practice of Vipassana. Vipassana practice is to objectively observe impermanence at the level of bodily sensations. To observe sensations, the mind has to be made sharp and sensitive through Anapana practice.

Following the path of the Buddha is to work exactly in the way he wanted us to work. It is important to train the mind to feel natural sensations, first on this area below the nostrils above the upper lip and then throughout the body.

This is where Anapana Sati plays such an important role. It is such a simple and scientific way to feel the sensation. In a Vipassana course, you start feeling bodily sensations within three days.

Thus Anapana meditation when correctly practiced takes one to the next step of the Noble Eight-fold Path—the practice of paññā, i.e Vipassana.

May all take steps on the practical path of Vipassana; and those who are already walking on the path make further progress with ardent effort!

May all beings be happy.

i) 1st June to 30th Aug, 2014 (Residential – 90-day intensive Pali-Eng. course, only for male) ii) 10th Nov to 10th Dec, 2014 (Residential - 30-day intensive Pali-Eng course)

Eligibility

Must have completed three 10-day Vipassana courses and one Satipathana course, plus have been regularly practicing Vipassana and observing five precepts since last one year. Area Teacher's recommendation is a must.

iii) 28th June to 28th Feb, 2015 (Non-Residential, Eight months, once a week. Saturdays only 1 pm to 4 pm (Open to Non-meditators also). One year Pali Diploma Course on the teachings of the Buddha, Vipassana theory and practice at Philosophy Department, Mumbai University.

Vipassana Research Institute (VRI) and Mumbai University jointly conduct a Diploma course for the academic year 2014-15. This course will involve the theoretical and practical aspects of the Buddha’s teachings, and practical application of Vipassana in various fields. Venue Jnaneshwar Bhavan, Dept of Philosophy, Mumbai University, Vidya Nagari Campus Kalina Santacruz (E). Mumbai - 400098. Tel 022-26527337

Application form available from 1st July to 15th July, 2014 from Monday to Friday between 11.30 am to 2.30 pm at philosophy Department, Duration of course is from 19th July, 2014, till March end 2015, classes- every Saturday 2-30 to 6-30 pm.

Eligibility: Minimum 12th Standard pass. It will be compulsory to sit a Vipassana course during the Diwali vacation. For more information please contact: 1) VRI office 022-33747560, 2) Mrs. Baljit Lamba M: 09833518979, 3) Miss Rajashree. M-09004698648, 4) Dr (Mrs.) Sharda Sanghavi M: 09223462805.

A daily group sitting is being held from 8.00 am to 9.00 am at ‘The Buddha Smriti Park’ (opp. Patna Railway Junction). Also Goenkaji’s 20-minute Anapana discourse and practice is played every hour from 9.00 am to 5.00 p.m. For more details, please contact: Mr. Om Prakash Manro, Mob. 09431142402.

North Zone - Dhamma Thali,15 Aug. to 18 Aug,
South zone - Dhamma Khetta, 30 to 3 Aug.,
Central zone – Dhamma Giri 21 to 25 Dec.,
Sri Lanka -- Dhamma Sobha 20 to 24 Aug,
Nepal- Dhamma Shringha 27 to 31 Aug,
Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri - one day SAT/Ts workshops 26 Dec.,
Dhamma Giri, Igatpuri - AT Annual meeting 27 to 28 Dec.

The Ahmedabad Vipassana Centre is expanding from current capacity of 60 students to 100 students. Following are on-going new construction: 70 meditation cells, Rooms for 40 male, 19 female students, assistant teachers’ dining area and female dining hall. Those wishing to earn merits of Dana, may send cheques or demand draft favouring "Gurjar Vipashyana Kendra". Please also give name and complete address so a receipt can be sent. City Office : A-803, Narnarayan Complex, Opp. Jalaram Chhas, Near Swastic Cross Road, Navrangpura, Amdavad - Gujarat – India Ph : +91 898 000 1110,

Buddha Purnima: May 18, 2014, Sunday; Asadha Purnima: July 13, 2014, Sunday; Sharada Purnima and on the first death anniversary of Revered Principal Teacher S. N. Goenka: on September 28, 2014, Sunday; in the main Dome of the Global Vipassana Pagoda, from 11 am to 4 pm.

Mataji (Principal Teacher Mrs Illachidevi Goenka) may be present during these courses. Recorded discourses of late Goenkaji will be played at 3 pm. These discourses are open for non-meditators also. Meditators are requested to come only after registration. For registration, please contact on phone between 11am and 5pm: on (022)28451170 / (022)33747501 - ext: 9; (022)33747543/44. Online Registration: www.oneday@globalpagoda.org.

Assistant Teachers

1. Mrs. Shubha Mehrotra, Pune
2. Mr. Arun Anjarkar, Kolhapur

Children’s Course Teachers

1. Mr. Gondimalla Sathyanarayan, Nalgonda AP
2-3. Dr. Kishore and Mrs Swathi Gaadhe, Warangal AP
4. Mr. Poreddy Thirumal Reddy, Vanastalipuram AP
5. Mrs. Gyaneshwari Thakur, Boduppal AP
6 Mrs. Alubaka Parvathi, Karimnagar AP
7. Mrs. Paloju Pushpalatha, RR Dist. AP
8. Mr. Singri Kiran, Kurnool AP
9. Mrs. Pushpaben Patel, Anand Gujarat
10. Mrs. Sunitaben Shetty, Anand Gujarat
11. Mr. Ghanshyambhai Saparia, Rajkot
12. Mr. Tulshibhai Saparia, Rajkot
13. Mr. Ramnikbhai Makadia, Rajkot
14. Mr. Manubhai Pambhar, Rajkot
15. Mr. Dhirajlal Pokal, Rajkot
16. Mr. Chhaganbhai Tanti, Rajkot
17. Mr. Vrajlal Vekaria, Rajkot
18. Mrs. Chetanaben Dodiya, Rajkot

Date	Course site	Age (years)	Registration
First Sunday	Dombivili	10-16	2 days befor Course
First Sunday	Ulhasnagar	10-16	2 days befor Course
First Sunday	Matunga	10-16	2 days befor Course
Seond Sunday	Sanpada	10-16	2 days befor Course
Seond Sunday	Andheri	10-16	2 days befor Course
Third Sunday	Ghatkopar	10-16	2 days befor Course
Fourth Sunday	Airoli	10-16	2 days befor Course
25-5	Goregaon	10-16	22 & 23-5-2014
15-6	Goregaon	10-16	12 & 13-6-2014
20-7	Goregaon	10-16	17 & 18-7-2014
24-8	Goregaon	10-16	21 & 22-8-2014
21-9	Goregaon	10-16	18 & 19-9-2014
19-10	Goregaon	10-16	16 & 17-10-2014
16-11	Goregaon	10-16	13 & 14-11-2014
21-12	Goregaon	10-16	18 & 19-12-2014

2 Day Residential Anapana Course for Children: (age 13 to 16 Only for Boys) 31-5 to 1-6-2014, (age 13 to 16 Only for Girls) 2 to 3-6-2014 Bhiwindi: Naik Foundation Padaga village (Bhiwandi) Mumbai Nasik Highway (N.H.3) After Padaga Toll Naka, Near Pallavi Hotel, For Registration call 022-25162505 (Registration After 26th October Only)
Course Timing: 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Registration Timings: 11 am to 1 pm on the specified numbers and dates for each location.
Course Venues: Goregaon: Vipassana Counselling & Research Centre, Siddharth Municipal General Hospital, Goregaon (W), Tel: 2624-2025. Dombivili: K B Vira HighSchool, Near Muncipal Office, Dombivali (E) Mob. 9930301594. Ulhasnagar: 703-A Block /1405, Gokul Nagar, Behind Netaji School, Near Mahesh Granite, Tel. 9970755130, Matunga: Amulakh Amirchand High School, Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, New SNDT College, King's Circle, Matunga (CR), Mob. 98201-50336. Sanpada: Navi Mumbai Mahanagar Palika School, Sector 5, Sanpaada. Tel: 7738649821, 9699862322, 9223300575, Andheri: Mayfair Meridian Meditation Hall, Ceaser Road, Off S.V. Road, Amboli, Near St. Blaise Church Andheri, Mob. 9820459449. 9664782244, 9699668642. Ghatkopar: SNDT School, New Building, Cama Lane, Ghatkopar (W), Opp Vidyut Society, Mumbai 400086. Tel: 25011096, 25162505. Airoli: Saraswati School, Sector 5, Airoli, Mob. 9892565765.
Please call two days in advance for registration.
NB *Please bring cushion. *Please register on the specified phone numbers. If unable to attend after registration, please inform in advance. *Please arrive on time for the course.

Mataji, Minister from Myanmar, dignitaries from Thailand etc.
Inauguration of Dhammālaya, Global Pagoda on 27th AprilDhammalaya, the guest house in Global Vipassana Pagoda

Edited and published by R. P. Yadav for VRI, Igatpuri 422 403 and printed at Akshar Chitra Press, 69, B-Road, Satpur, Nashik 422 007 14 May, 2014

Posted at Igatpuri, Dist. Nashik, Posting Day: Purnima of every month
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