The Way of Wisdom - Panya
Phra Cittasamvaro Bhikkhu started this year's series of Littlebang rains-retreat talks, kindly hosted by California Wow in their Asoke yoga studio, with a teaching that, by wonderful co-incidence, seemed to directly address the comments I made in my last post about the impossibility of reaching Enlightenment by one's own efforts. "You can only do so much by yourself" Phra Cittasamvaro said, " the rest is done by wisdom."
Wisdom being, he said, the special teaching of Buddhism, and especially of the current Buddha. Other Buddhas, he said, taught faith, the next Buddha will teach "heroic struggle", but wisdom is the hallmark of this Buddha. At which point Phra Pandit wisely paused to remind his audience just how to listen to a Dharma talk - by absorbing and letting things settle. Not forming opinions, but simply seeing what currently connects with you and what doesn't.
Explaining how wisdom characterises the teachings of the Buddha, Phra Cittasamvaro put what the Buddha had discovered into historical context by looking at the Buddha's own spiritual development. His movement through the practices of the day, through asceticism, through concentration meditation, and finally to his determination to examine all the data streams coming at him, and his discovery that all are without stability.
This was a discovery made in meditation and Phra Pandit pointed out a common problem in trying to apply inward discoveries to everyday life. Of course what we learn from meditation has impact in every area of our life, but not in the way it's often presented. Phra Pandit gave the example of "desire causes suffering". Such a teaching clearly makes little sense in daily activity, at least until experienced on the cushion.
Attachment is another example. In daily life there are good things to develop and to hold on to, and developing positive mental states, for example, is an essential part of the spiritual path. Phra Cittasamvaro likened it to tidying up a room; metta and concentration practices keep the mind neat and tidy and a nice place to be. However, he suggested, keep going and one will eventually move to a new level altogether. And at this level, the level of wisdom, the room becomes, simply, empty.
This is reached through listening to teachings, through figuring things out, but most of all, and by far most importantly, through practice. And the practice is to do what the Buddha did, to sit and watch the six senses, the streams of data as they arise and pass away. You become a gatekeeper to your own mind, reaching greater levels of self-awareness, and that, Phra Cittasamvaro taught, is where your duty stops. After that, everything is done by wisdom itself.
"Don't think" he warned, "Thinking can justify anything, can lead to all sorts of trouble. Just watch, and wisdom will arise naturally." This is not a concentration meditation Phra Pandit said, but you can use the breath as an anchor. It's a humble meditation, you do nothing but watch. The ego will rattle around for a while, but don't feed the things that arise, just watch. Rely upon wisdom, not the ego. Don't worry, don't try to solve things, and eventually wisdom will come.
Links:
Wisdom being, he said, the special teaching of Buddhism, and especially of the current Buddha. Other Buddhas, he said, taught faith, the next Buddha will teach "heroic struggle", but wisdom is the hallmark of this Buddha. At which point Phra Pandit wisely paused to remind his audience just how to listen to a Dharma talk - by absorbing and letting things settle. Not forming opinions, but simply seeing what currently connects with you and what doesn't.
Explaining how wisdom characterises the teachings of the Buddha, Phra Cittasamvaro put what the Buddha had discovered into historical context by looking at the Buddha's own spiritual development. His movement through the practices of the day, through asceticism, through concentration meditation, and finally to his determination to examine all the data streams coming at him, and his discovery that all are without stability.
This was a discovery made in meditation and Phra Pandit pointed out a common problem in trying to apply inward discoveries to everyday life. Of course what we learn from meditation has impact in every area of our life, but not in the way it's often presented. Phra Pandit gave the example of "desire causes suffering". Such a teaching clearly makes little sense in daily activity, at least until experienced on the cushion.
Attachment is another example. In daily life there are good things to develop and to hold on to, and developing positive mental states, for example, is an essential part of the spiritual path. Phra Cittasamvaro likened it to tidying up a room; metta and concentration practices keep the mind neat and tidy and a nice place to be. However, he suggested, keep going and one will eventually move to a new level altogether. And at this level, the level of wisdom, the room becomes, simply, empty.
This is reached through listening to teachings, through figuring things out, but most of all, and by far most importantly, through practice. And the practice is to do what the Buddha did, to sit and watch the six senses, the streams of data as they arise and pass away. You become a gatekeeper to your own mind, reaching greater levels of self-awareness, and that, Phra Cittasamvaro taught, is where your duty stops. After that, everything is done by wisdom itself.
"Don't think" he warned, "Thinking can justify anything, can lead to all sorts of trouble. Just watch, and wisdom will arise naturally." This is not a concentration meditation Phra Pandit said, but you can use the breath as an anchor. It's a humble meditation, you do nothing but watch. The ego will rattle around for a while, but don't feed the things that arise, just watch. Rely upon wisdom, not the ego. Don't worry, don't try to solve things, and eventually wisdom will come.
Links:
Photo: Early 18th century mural (detail), Wat Ko Kaew Sutharam, Phetchaburi. Apologies for the poor quality of the image.
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